Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/8/19
From Press Release
Despite allowing the first six goals of the game, the Springfield College men’s lacrosse team rallied in overtime to knock off No. 8 Ursinus, 16-15, in the NCAA Division III Championship Second Round on Wednesday afternoon on Patterson Field.
Springfield advances to the third round and will battle No. 6 Cabrini on Saturday afternoon. The Pride, which won in overtime for the second time in its last three outings, improved to 11-9, while Ursinus dropped to 13-4.
Cabrini toppled DeSales, 15-4.
Cameron Glover finished the game with three goals, including the game-winner with with 2:37 left in the extra session, while classmate Cole Pecora led the Pride with three goals and two assists. In his first national tournament appearance, Zachary Schuette added three goals, while Jack Vail registered two goals and two assists, Joe Hawley went for two assists and a goal, and Lucas Habich turned in two goals and an assist. Joseph Cameron wont 14-of-31 face-offs and picked up 13 ground balls, and Cole Finerty was credited with 10 stops.
Hakan Atillasoy (Harriton) led all players with five goals and three assists, Bobby McClure (Haverford High) chipped in three goals and three assists, and Ben Minardi scored three times. Nick Kirk made 17 stops between the pipes.
For the game, Ursinus held a 56-47 advantage in shots, owned a 38-31 edge in ground balls, and won 19-of-34 from the face-off “X”.
Ursinus couldn’t have asked for the better start as the hosts stormed out to a 6-0 advantage with 4:38 remaining in the opening quarter. Patrick Watson finally got the Pride on the board with 2:18 to play, and Schuette’s first of the game with 1:19 on the clock would pull Springfield within 7-2 after 15 minutes of play.
The second quarter was the only frame in regulation in which Springfield had an advantage in shots, with a slight 14-11 edge. Vail opened up the scoring just 31 seconds into the quarter, and after the Bears responded with their first man-up goal of the day, Springfield strung together three-straight goals on strikes from Schuette, Hawley, and Habich to make it 8-6 with 3:53 remaining. Ursinus would close out the scoring with just over two minutes left before halftime to take a 9-6 cushion into the break.
Springfield wasted little time seizing momentum in the third quarter, as Pecora and Vail each found the back of the cage in the opening 1:18 to make it a one-goal contest. Springfield would later tie the game for the first time all afternoon after Habich and Pecora scored just over a minute apart to answer an Ursinus goal and even things at 10-all with 5:53 left in the quarter.
However, the Bears showed plenty of resolve, responding with three-straight goals in a 1:22 span to regain a 13-10 advantage. After the two teams traded goals to begin the fourth quarter, Springfield reeled off four-consecutive goals, highlighted by a pair of unassisted goals by Pecora and capped off by a sensational individual effort by Schuette with 2:44 left in regulation, as the Pride jumped on top for the first time all day, 15-14. Ursinus would tie the game up with their third-man up goal of the day, and Kirk made two amazing saves in the waning seconds to force overtime.
The hosts won the opening face-off, but turned it over to give Springfield possession. The Pride successfully cleared the ball, and with the shot clock winding down, Glover beat his man from behind the cage and tucked the game-winning strike just under the cross bar to complete the remarkable comeback.
