STRONG SECOND HALF LIFTS BECKER PAST MEN'S LACROSSE, 10-6
April 7, 2012
BOSTON, Mass. - Sophomore attacker John DeAngelis (Swampscott, Mass.) netted a game-high four goals to lead the Becker College men's lacrosse team past Emmanuel College, 10-6, Saturday afternoon at Clemente Field in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action. With the win, the Hawks improve to 3-8 overall and 3-2 in GNAC play while the loss drops the Saints to 6-5 overall and 2-3 in GNAC action.
With the score deadlocked at 3-3 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half, DeAngelis put the Hawks ahead for good with a score at the 1:56 marker of the second quarter, finishing off a feed from freshman James Conley (Barnstable, Mass.) to put Becker on top 4-3 heading into the halftime intermission.
The Hawks would waste no time to add to their lead, netting a goal just 14 seconds into the second half to take a 5-3 advantage. On the opening face of the third quarter, Emmanuel middie Jake Pickett (Stratham, N.H.) was able to win the draw before Becker sophomore midfielder Shane Balestacci (Pawcatuck, Conn.) delivered a check that caused Pickett to lose control of the ball. DeAngelis came up with the loose ball and took the action right to the Saints crease with his second goal of the afternoon to make it a two-goal game. Balestacci would waste little time to make it 6-3, netting an unassisted tally at the 13:37 marker to give Becker its first three-goal cushion of the afternoon. The Hawks would continue to push as the DeAngelis-Conley connection would hook up again with 7:31 remaining in the third quarter to extend the visitor's lead to 7-3 with DeAngelis's third tally of the game. With 3:34 left in the quarter, Balestacci found the back of the net again, finishing a feed from freshman middie Alex Hurd (Chelmsford, Mass.) to make it an 8-3 contest.
Emmanuel would show signs of life closing out the third quarter with back-to-back scores to make it an 8-5 game heading into the final period of play. Freshman midfielder Jake Jaskolski (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) potted the first strike with 2:49 remaining in the quarter when senior middie Eddie Thy (Portland, Maine) threaded the needle to find Jaskolski for his sixth goal of the year. With 54 seconds left, Pickett tallied an unassisted score to pull Emmanuel to within three to open the third quarter.
Becker senior defender opened the fourth quarter's scoring with his first goal of the season coming 1:26 into the final period. The long-poll carried the ball into the Saints zone and fired a shot from just inside the box that was able to elude EC freshman goalie Austin Lauzier (Bedford, N.H.) to make it 9-5. Emmanuel would answer as freshman Jack Ruggiero (Manhasset, N.Y.) got into the scoring mix with an unassisted goal with 10:39 left in the action to make it 9-6, but unfortunately for the Saints it would be their last goal of the afternoon as Becker would cap the game's scoring with another DeAngelis strike to account for the 10-6 final.
Early on in the action, EC took a 1-0 lead behind an unassisted score from freshman midfielder Joel Berger (Cape Neddick, Maine) but the Hawks would answer as Conley was able to find the back of the net with just five seconds left in the opening period to knot the score at 1-1.
In the second quarter, the squads would exchange a pair goals as junior attacker Ted Dimando (Hampstead, N.H.) notched both of the Saints scores to make it 3-3 before DeAngelis and the Hawks started their 5-0 run to put away the contest.
For the Hawks, sophomore goalie Michael Munoz (Avon, Conn.) made 15 saves in net for the win while Lauzier ended the afternoon with 14 saves for the Saints.
Emmanuel will return to action on Wednesday, April 11 when they travel to Saint Joseph's (ME) for a GNAC contest scheduled for a 4:00 PM start while Becker also resumes action the same day when they head to Norwich University for a 4:00 PM GNAC battle.