Rochester, N.Y. – The Ithaca men's lacrosse team (6-5, 2-2 Empire 8) surrendered a pair of fourth-period goals to fall to 23rd-ranked Nazareth (9-3, 5-0 Empire 8), 6-5, on Saturday afternoon.
After trailing 3-2 at the end of the first period, Ithaca opened the second stint with back-to-back scores to take a 4-3 edge. Nazareth knotted the game at 4-4 to end the first half before Ithaca netted the third period's lone goal to regain a one-goal advantage. Ithaca outshot the Golden Flyers, 11-9, in the final stanza, but Nazareth twice found the back of the net to remain undefeated in conference play.
For the sixth time this season junior
Tom Mongelli (Kinnelon/Kinnelon, N.J.) tallied three or more goals, leading the Bombers with a hat trick. Sophomore
Andrew Bruce (De La Salle/Lafayette, Calif.) and junior
Devin Weinshank (Long Beach/Long Beach) added the Bombers' other two goals, while senior
Jay Lucas (Fox Lane/Bedford Hills) dished out a pair of assists.
Bruce, senior
Michael Silipo (Williston Northampton/Deerfield, Mass.) and sophomore
Marc Roberts (Hendrick Hudson/Montrose) each picked up four ground balls.
Roberts and sophomore
Adam Wacenske (Gates-Chili/Rochester) forced three turnovers apiece to lead the Bombers.
Senior
David Gal (Loomis Chafee (Conn.)/Amherst, Mass.) stopped nine shots in the goal for the Bombers.
Bruce went unassisted at 13:06 in the first period to open all scoring. Nazareth scored three of the first period's final four goals to take a 3-2 edge into the second stint.
Lucas found the crosse of
Weinshank at 9:19 to break up the Golden Flyers' flurry of goals.
Mongelli put the Bombers back in front with back-to-back unassisted scores at 12:44 and 9:04 in the second period. Nazareth tied the game at 4-4 to end the half.
Lucas assisted
Mongelli at 5:57 in the third period to give the Bombers a 5-4 advantage, but the Golden Flyers held the Bombers scoreless in the final frame, and netted two of its own, to claim its six victory out of its last seven games.
Ithaca outshot Nazareth, 36-25, and picked up 26 ground balls to the Golden Flyers' 24.
The Bombers will next host St. Lawrence at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 17.
Box Score
