CIBELLI NETS DOUBLE-OT GAME-WINNER TO LIFT MEN’S LACROSSE OVER MOUNT IDA, 10-9

BOSTON, Mass. – Junior attack Tony Cibelli (Westboro, Mass.) scored 29 seconds into the second overtime session to lift the Emmanuel College men's lacrosse team past Mount Ida College, 10-9, Saturday afternoon at Roberto Clemente Field. Cibelli finished the day with five points on three goals and two assists to help the Saints open Great Northeast Athletic Conference with a 1-0 start and improve to 2-7 overall while the Mustangs fall to 0-1 in GNAC play and 4-5 overall.

The Saints controlled the action early on, jumping out to a 4-0 in the opening seven minutes of the first quarter behind a pair of goals from senior middie Chris Curtis (Ashland, Mass.) and goals by senior Michael Donovan (Assonent, Mass.) and junior Donnie Litzelman (Stratham, N.H.) Emmanuel looked to run away early but Mount Ida sophomore goalkeeper Cam Hayward (Derry, N.H.) made two big saves in the first to keep the game within reach. The Mustangs cut the lead and some of the momentum with a late first quarter goal by junior middie Wyatt Sullivan (Arlington, Mass.) to make it 4-1 heading into the second quarter.

Ida made it a one-goal game with back-to-back goals to open the quarter with a man-up score by junior middie Chad Coehlo (Salem, Mass.) and a tally by senior attack Lucas Stralka (East Greenwich, R.I.) to cut the lead to 4-3 with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Cibelli bumped the lead back to two with his first score of the afternoon to make it 5-3 before Mount Ida senior Mike Markevich (Westminster, Mass.) got it back with his sixth goal of the year to keep it a one-goal game at 5-4. Cibelli wasted little time to get his second of the afternoon, finding the back of the net just 13 seconds after Markevich to give EC the 6-4 cushion before senior Justin Kelly (Collegeville, Pa.) added to the lead to make it 7-4 with 1:16 to play in the half.  Hayward continued his strong play in goal for the Mustangs making seven second quarter saves and a late goal by junior Peter Hardy (Tyngsboro, Mass.) gave the visitors momemtum heading into the half as the attackman scored his second goal of the year with just 14 tics left on the clock to putt Mount Ida to within two at 7-5 at the break.

The Mustangs cut the lead to 7-6 with Sullivan's second goal of the action on a man-up tally with less than eight minutes to play in the third and then with just three seconds to play in the quarter, Markevich tied the score at 7-7 with an unassisted marker, his seventh of the campaign.

Curtis and Donovan scored back-to-back goals midway through the fourth quarter to give Emmanuel a 10-8 lead but Mount Ida battled back to even the score with goals by sophomore Da'zhon Johnston (Southhampton, Bermuda) and Stralka to even the score at 9-9 with just over four minutes to play in regulation. Both squads had chances down the stretch but neither was able to find the game winner before the final horn.

In the first overtime, the Saints outshot the Mustangs 4-0 and hit the post twice before Cibelli was able to put the game away in the second overtime frame.

EC sophomore goalie Austin Rosenberg (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) played all 65 minutes to earn his first collegiate victory, making six saves in net. Hayward suffered the loss despite making 15 saves for the Mustangs.

The Saints return to action on Wednesday, April 6 when they travel to Newton, Mass. to take on Lasell College at 4:00 PM in more GNAC action. Mount Ida is back the same day when they host Rivier University at 6:00 PM at Alumni Field.