Whittier, Calif. – Junior Tom Mongelli (Kinnelon/Kinnelon, N.J.) recorded a season-best three goals as the 25th-ranked Ithaca men's lacrosse team (2-1) dropped an 8-7 decision at Whittier (1-1) on Wednesday evening.

The Poets recorded four of the game's final five goals for the win.

Whittier opened all scoring at 10:10 before Mongelli knotted the game with his first score on an assist from freshman Pat Slawta (Walt Whitman/Bethesda, Md.). The teams went on to again exchange goals as Mongelli brought the game to 2-2 at 9:43 in the second stint.

Whittier tallied a 3-2 edge at 5:21 prior to the Bombers rattling off three consecutive to claim a 5-3 advantage at the half. Senior Michael Silipo (Williston Northampton/Deerfield, Mass.), junior Billy LaPerch (John Jay-Cross River/Katonah) and Mongelli pieced together the Bombers' run to take the largest lead of the game.

Eight scoreless minutes opened the second half, but Whittier scored two of the third period's three goals to move within one of the Bombers. Junior Devin Weinshank (Long Beach/Long Beach) tallied an Ithaca goal at 5:05 on a feed from freshman Jake Long (Upper Dublin/Ft. Washington, Pa.).

Whittier put the game away scoring three of four goals in the fourth quarter, broken up only by a Long goal. Senior Jay Lucas (Fox Lane/Bedford Hills) assisted Long at the eight-minute mark prior to a pair of Poets' scores to finalize all scoring at 8-7.

Senior David Gal (Loomis Chafee (Conn.)/Amherst, Mass.) suffered the loss in goal for the Bombers, making four stops.

Junior Brian DiBetta (John Jay/Katonah) won 12 of 17 faceoffs as the Bombers won 13 of the 18 attempted. Silipo recorded a game-best five ground balls, while DiBetta and junior Will Kraus (Skaneateles Salisbury School/Skaneateles) scooped up four each for Ithaca.

The Bombers outshot Whittier, 45-25, and collected 34 ground balls to the Poets' 24.

Ithaca will next host Oneonta on Wednesday, March 23 at 4 p.m.

Box Score