Phillylacrosse.com, posted 4/12/08

It was a bittersweet night for the Philadelphia Wings’ Athan Iannucci.

The second-year forward scored three goals and broke the National Lacrosse League’s single-season scoring record with two games left in the campaign.

But Iannucci’s Wings suffered a gut-wrenching 15-14 overtime loss to the host Minnesota Swarm (9-4) Saturday night as Sean Pollack scored the game-winner 1:19 into OT, knocking Philadelphia out of first place in the NLL’s Eastern Division.
Iannucci has 63 goals. The old mark of 61 was set by Colorado’s Gary Gait in 2003.

Tallies by Geoff Snider and David Mitchell gave the Wings (9-5) a 14-13 lead late in the game. But the Swarm tied the game with just one second in regulation on a power play goal by former Wing Dan Marohl.

“This was an incredibly challenging weekend with the back to back games and some of the travel challenges we faced,” said Wings coach Dave Huntley. “I’m very proud of how these guys came back in the second half.”

After the Wings scored three quick goals in the first quarter to take a 3-1 lead, Minnesota scored nine unanswered goals and led 10-3 at halftime.

Wings goaltender Rob Blasdell was pulled 4:56 into the second quarter after the Swarm’s eighth goal of the game. Brandon Miller came on in relief and soon the Wings began to peck away at the lead.

For the second straight night, the Wings offense came alive in the second half. Iannucci tied the record of 61 on a power play goal at 6:04 of the third period and broke the record on an even-strength goal at 8:52 in the third.

Rookie Merrick Thomson had two goals and three assists for the Wings while Snider added three goals and AJ Shannon had a goal and two assists. Mitchell and Drew Westervelt each scored two goals and Jamie Rooney had a goal and an assist.

Goaltender Blasdell made 10 saves and Miller made 29.

Andy Secore led the Swarm with six points (three goals, three assists) while goaltender Nick Patterson made 35 saves.