SNOW DOESN'T STOP SAINTS FROM NOTCHING FIRST WIN OF 2015 OVER GORDON, 13-12

WENHAM, Mass.—Despite mounds of snow surrounding the field at the Brigham Athletic Complex, the Emmanuel College Men's Lacrosse team outlasted a late push from the host Fighting Scots of Gordon College to earn a 13-12 victory in the home opener for Gordon. Three different Saints scored at least three goals, including four apiece for Tony Cibelli (Westboro, Mass.) and Chris Curtis (Ashland, Mass.), while Ryan Utz (Rochester, N.Y.) turned in four goals and an assist for the Scots.

Gordon started the game red hot on the offensive end with Ryan Utz scoring just eight seconds into the opening period. After winning the first faceoff, Jake Martin (Watertown, Conn.) found a streaking Ryan Utz just in front of the crease for the quick score. Sophomore Thor Rasmussen (Fairfax, Va.) made it 2-0 just a minute later on an assist from Jordan Heckelmann (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Nico Manganiello (Peabody, Mass.) also found the back of the net at 12:04 in the first quarter to give Gordon a commanding 3-0 lead.

Emmanuel locked down the Scots for the next 11 minutes, allowing them to put up some numbers on the offensive end. Curtis scored the first goal of the match for the Saints at the 8:20 mark to make it 3-1. Two quick goals from Tyler Billick (Agawam, Mass.) and Donnie Litzelman (Exeter, N.H.) knotted it up at three approaching the end of the first quarter.

Manganiello scored his second of the game with just a minute remaining in the period to put the Scots up 4-3 entering the second quarter.

Curtis took over the game for the Saints at the beginning of the second, scoring twice in the first two minutes to give Emmanuel its first lead at 5-4. The Saints flipped a switch after the opening deficit and score the first five goals of the second quarter to put Gordon in a big hole. Litzelman and Cibelli combined the add the other three goals during the run.

Gordon got one back just before the halftime horn as Roger Evans (Oxford, Pa.) raced down the middle of the field for an unassisted score.

The Fighting Scots gave up two more quick goals to begin the second half as Cibelli finished two attempts at the 13:41 and 8:22 marks of the third quarter. Penalties put the Scots in bad positions over the first 45 minutes, as the Saints finished with five goals when they were a man up, including Cibelli's strike to put Emmanuel up 10-5.

The Utz brothers, Ryan and Michael (Rochester, N.Y.), rallied the Fighting Scots with three goals in the final eight minutes of the period to send them to a 10-8 deficit entering period four.

Martin scored the first goal of the fourth on an assist from the stat-stuffing Ryan Utz to make it a 10-9 game, but Cibelli answered with his fourth goal almost immediately.

Gordon's Heckleman netted back-to-back attempts to finally bring the Scots down from the five-goal hole, tying the game at 11 with just over nine minutes to play.

However, Emmanuel's Jake Jaskolski (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) picked the right time to get into the box score, finishing an unassisted attempt with 7:23 on the clock to regain the lead. Curtis, a junior midfielder, added his fourth goal of the game just two minutes later to add some breathing room between the two teams.

Ryan Utz brought Gordon back to within one goal with just 19 seconds on the clock on a feed from Manganiello. The Fighting Scots won the impending faceoff to set up an intense final few seconds of play. Michael Utz got a clear look from about 15 yards out in the center of the field and appeared to have a goal just inside the post. The rip careened off the post and away from the net to preserve the victory for the Saints.

Emmanuel's Austin Lauzier (Bedford, N.H.) made 17 saves to earn his first victory of his senior season. Gordon's Cody Greenwald made 13 saves in the loss after missing the season opener due to injury.

The Fighting Scots and Saints each had 41 attempts at the goal, but Gordon finished with more shots-on-goal, 29-26. Gordon also won face-offs 18-11 and groundballs 40-28, with Peter Kovacevic (Pittsburgh, Pa.) grabbing a game-high nine groundballs.

Emmanuel improves to 1-0 on the season and play its home opener against Plymouth State on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. Gordon (0-2) looks to rebound at home against UMass-Dartmouth on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ​

*Release courtesy of Gordon College Sports Information