McCormack’s fourth goal delivers 9-8 home opener win for Endicott over Skidmore

BEVERLY, Mass. – Sophomore attacker Scott McCormack's (Norwalk, Conn.) fourth goal of game, off a highlight reel pass from sophomore Nick Pinciaro (Beverly, Mass.), with 1:33 remaining in the fourth quarter broke an 8-8 tie with Skidmore and proved to be the game-winner in the Gulls' home opener at Endicott Stadium Wednesday evening. 

 Endicott improved to 2-1 (1-0 CCC) on the season and 2-0 with freshman Cameron Bell (Falmouth, Maine) in the cage who recorded 10 saves in the victory.  The Blue and Green hit the road for a Saturday showdown against Eastern Connecticut at 1:00 pm in Willimantic, Connecticut.  The Warriors are 1-2 on the season but are coming off a trip to the NCAA DIII Tournament.

Skidmore dropped to 1-2 on the season following their first ever meeting with Endicott and will take on Trinity (Conn.) on Saturday at home at 1:00 pm.

Skidmore took a 7-5 advantage early in the fourth quarter after scoring back-to-back man-up tallies on goals by senior midfielder Mike Perlow (Briarcliff, N.Y.), with an assist to JP Sullivan (Floral Park, N.Y.), and sophomore midfielder Matt Ohara (La Jolla, Calif.).  The Thoroughbreds were also led by a standout effort in goal by junior Matt Diaco (Kinnelon, N.J.) who totaled a game-high 18 saves, but allowed Endicott to score four fourth quarter goals in the loss.

Endicott opened up the first quarter with a 2-0 lead as sophomore Jeremy Morgan (Ridge, N.Y.) scored unassisted and senior Connor McCormack (Norwalk, Conn.) netted his fifth of the season, man-up, with an assist to Pinciaro. The Gulls and Thoroughbreds would head into the second quarter tied 2-2 as Skidmore answered with two straight scores by Sullivan and freshman midfielder Kevin Mulvey (Westfield, N.J.).

Scott McCormack, who came into today's game with zero goals through two games, scored 44 seconds in the second quarter and again two minutes later, both assisted by Joshua Tordik (Sayville, N.Y.) to put Endicott ahead 4-2.  Skidmore pulled to within one at 9:28 in the second on Jon Hoeg's (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) third goal of the season and the two teams went into the break with the Gulls leading 4-3.

Skidmore tied the game at 4-4 on Perlow's first goal and later in the third quarter took their first lead on a Ohara man-up goal, from Mulvey, to make it 5-4.  Endicott's sophomore midfielder Harrison Cotter (Lordship, Conn.) found the back of the net to even the score for the third time in the game off a pass from Tordik with just 34 ticks left on the clock in the third quarter. 

After Skidmore went up 7-5 at the start of the fourth, McCormack's third goal of the game, assisted by Jeremy Morgan, brought the Gulls to within one but back-to-back scores by Pinciaro put Endicott back on top 8-7.  Hoeg tied the game at 8-8, setting up McCormack's game-winning goal in the waning moments of regulation.

Endicott controlled the face-off with specialist Sam Ozycz (Cheshire, Conn.) going a perfect 8-of-8 in the first half and 16-of-19 in the game.  Ozycz also had a game-high 13 groundballs.  Defensively, junior Lucas Paratore (Wenham, Mass.) continued his strong early season play with two more caused turnovers as did fellow defenseman Anthony Martignetti (Winchester, Mass.) and Will Farfalla (Glen Rock, N.J.). 

Skidmore's Ohara as well as sophomore defenseman Clark Demos (Fort Wayne, Ind.) tied for a game-high three caused turnovers in the loss.  Hoeg led the Thoroughbreds with seven groundballs. 

Endicott held a 46-30 groundball advantage, went 1-for-2 on man-up opportunities, and 15-for-25 on clear attempts.  Skidmore was 17-of-26 on clear attempts and 3-of-8 with the man-advantage.