ITHACA, N.Y. — Junior attackman Nic Heckman (Sparta/Sparta, N.J.) scored at the 3:39 mark of overtime to lift the #4 Ithaca men's lacrosse team (13-1, 6-1, Empire 8) to an 8-7 win over Hartwick (4-8, 2-5 Empire 8) in an Empire 8 game Saturday afternoon at Upper Terrace Field. It was Heckman's second goal of the game and 27th of the season. It was Ithaca's first overtime game of the season, and they closed their home portion of the regular-season schedule with a perfect 6-0 home record.

Senior defender Michael Serron (Canandaigua/Canandaigua) forced a Hartwick turnover, picked up the ground ball and the Bombers successfully cleared to set up the winning possession. Heckman circled clockwise around the crease, moving from behind the net to the edge of the crease and fired in a close-range shot.

Ithaca used a 6-1 run in the second and third quarters to build a 7-4 lead. Sophomore attackman Jay Lucas (Fox Lane/Bedford Hills) scored a career-high three goals to lead Ithaca's offense. Junior middie Nick Neuman (Madison West/Madison, Wis.) had two goals and senior midfielder Mike Giunta (B. Reed Henderson/West Chester, Pa.) had Ithaca's other tally. Senior Chris Carman (Monte Vista/Alamo, Calif.) had two assists in the game.

Sophomore David Gal (Loomis Chaffee [Conn.]/Amherst, Mass.) made 12 saves in the game, including one on a difficult bounce shot in overtime, to earn his 12th win of the season.

Senior defender Neth Wiedemann (Episcopal School of Dallas/Dallas, Texas) led Ithaca with six ground balls and five caused turnovers in the game. Sophomore long-stick midfielder Matt Molnar (Central Bucks East/Doylestown, Pa.) had a career-high four caused turnovers in the contest.

Ithaca wraps up its regular season Saturday at 7 p.m. at Stevens Institute of Technology.

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