Upset-minded Endicott tops No. 18 Springfield in home opener
March 2, 2011
Boxscore | Video Highlights
Beverly, Mass. – The Endicott men’s lacrosse team bounced back from a season-opening loss to Stevens Tech with a 9-6 upset win over No. 18 Springfield in the home opener at Endicott Stadium. The Gulls built a four-goal lead by halftime only to see the Pride level the game on the strength of a four-goal third quarter. The Blue and Green responded by outscoring the visitors 4-1 over the final 15 minutes to pick up their first win of the young season.
Senior Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.) and sophomore Connor McCormack (Norwalk, Conn.) each recorded a hat-trick in the win while junior Jon Thanas (Cumberland, R.I.) handed out a game-high four assists. Senior Chris Cotter (Lordship, Conn.) added two goals and a pair of assists for the Gulls (1-1).
McCormack did most of his damage in the opening period, putting the hosts on top, 3-1, after the first 15 minutes of play. Thanas found Curtis with 3:27 remaining in the half to stretch the lead to four before McCormack and Cotter connected with one minute left to make it 5-1 at the break.
Springfield (2-1) lived up to their billing as a nationally-ranked team and scored four unanswered coming out of the half. Mark Eaton (Westford, Mass.) opened the scoring with just under ten minutes to play before Shawn Runyon (Fairport, N.Y.) and Parker Geane (Easton, Conn.) added goals 30 seconds apart to close the gap to one. Senior attack Austin Orsini (Webster, N.Y.) recorded the first of two goals on the day with 3:33 remaining in the third to knot the game at five apiece.
The day belonged to the Endicott, as Thanas set up Cotter with 11:35 remaining to give Endicott a lead it would not surrender. Curtis tacked on two more, once at 10:16 and again at 6:44, to give the Gulls a three-goal cushion.
Sophomore Brian Estes (Derry, N.H.) assisted on the first and Cotter, who also finished with four ground balls, set up the second.
Orsini’s goal with just over five minutes to go threatened to spark a late rally but Estes sealed the upset win with a goal at 3:43, his second of the season. Thanas’ fourth assist moved his season total to six.
Sophomore Mike Klein (Darien, Conn.) registered 14 saves in his first start of the season en route to the win. Robert Maher (Katonah, N.Y.) made a pair of saves after taking over at halftime but was forced to take the loss despite the second-half comeback.
Junior Sam Ozycz (Cheshire, Conn.) paced the Gulls with six ground balls while senior Robert Crossett (Katonah, N.Y.) added three to go along with three caused turnovers.
Eaton led the way with a game-high nine ground balls for the Pride, who lost for the first time this year after wins over Gordon and then-No. 11 Nazareth last week.
Endicott takes on its first conference opponent of the season when it welcomes Anna Maria to Endicott Stadium on Saturday (March 5) at 12:00 pm. Springfield hosts Stevens Tech at 1:00 pm on the same day.
Senior Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.) and sophomore Connor McCormack (Norwalk, Conn.) each recorded a hat-trick in the win while junior Jon Thanas (Cumberland, R.I.) handed out a game-high four assists. Senior Chris Cotter (Lordship, Conn.) added two goals and a pair of assists for the Gulls (1-1).
McCormack did most of his damage in the opening period, putting the hosts on top, 3-1, after the first 15 minutes of play. Thanas found Curtis with 3:27 remaining in the half to stretch the lead to four before McCormack and Cotter connected with one minute left to make it 5-1 at the break.
Springfield (2-1) lived up to their billing as a nationally-ranked team and scored four unanswered coming out of the half. Mark Eaton (Westford, Mass.) opened the scoring with just under ten minutes to play before Shawn Runyon (Fairport, N.Y.) and Parker Geane (Easton, Conn.) added goals 30 seconds apart to close the gap to one. Senior attack Austin Orsini (Webster, N.Y.) recorded the first of two goals on the day with 3:33 remaining in the third to knot the game at five apiece.
The day belonged to the Endicott, as Thanas set up Cotter with 11:35 remaining to give Endicott a lead it would not surrender. Curtis tacked on two more, once at 10:16 and again at 6:44, to give the Gulls a three-goal cushion.
Sophomore Brian Estes (Derry, N.H.) assisted on the first and Cotter, who also finished with four ground balls, set up the second.
Orsini’s goal with just over five minutes to go threatened to spark a late rally but Estes sealed the upset win with a goal at 3:43, his second of the season. Thanas’ fourth assist moved his season total to six.
Sophomore Mike Klein (Darien, Conn.) registered 14 saves in his first start of the season en route to the win. Robert Maher (Katonah, N.Y.) made a pair of saves after taking over at halftime but was forced to take the loss despite the second-half comeback.
Junior Sam Ozycz (Cheshire, Conn.) paced the Gulls with six ground balls while senior Robert Crossett (Katonah, N.Y.) added three to go along with three caused turnovers.
Eaton led the way with a game-high nine ground balls for the Pride, who lost for the first time this year after wins over Gordon and then-No. 11 Nazareth last week.
Endicott takes on its first conference opponent of the season when it welcomes Anna Maria to Endicott Stadium on Saturday (March 5) at 12:00 pm. Springfield hosts Stevens Tech at 1:00 pm on the same day.