Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 4/4/21
From Press Releases
Widener upended Arcadia, 18-16, Saturday in an offensive outburst among elite Middle Atlantic Conference men’s teams from the two divisions.
This is the second time in program history Widener has started 6-1, matching the 1978 squad that also started 6-1 under head coach Ed Dinksi.
HIGHLIGHTS
Paz Gismondi (West Deptford-NJ) and Connor Ball both led Widener, 6-1, 4-1 in Commonwealth) in points with five each off three scores and two assists. Gismondi moves to 100 career assists with Widener, just 10 shy of fourth all-time.
Connor Heisman (Bishop Shanahan) recorded his fourth hat trick of the season with four goals on the day.
Jayce Dyer (Penn Charter) posted a career-high four points, finding rope twice and dishing two helpers.
Kenneth Watts went 17-of-28 on face-offs and scooped a team-high five ground balls.
For Arcadia (4-5, 3-1 in Freedom Division), Clo Muscara had five goals and two assists and Brian Albertsen had four goals while Wesley Sporer had three goals. Justin Chinici had four assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Paz Gismondi got the high-scoring affair started with an unassisted goal just 28 seconds into the game. Nick DiCicco (Penn Charter) and Heisman also found rope early, but five Arcadia scores put the Pride down 5-3 after 10 minutes. Heisman quickly followed up with two quick back-to-back goals to get his hat trick before the first quarter ended. Two Arcadia scores in the period’s final minutes put the Knights up 6-5 after one.
Both sides continued to exchange points in the second with a pair of goals from DiCicco and Nick DiIorio putting the Blue and Gold up two at the quarter’s midpoint. However, consecutive Widener penalties at the five minute mark allowed the Knights to pick up two man-up scores to lock the tally at 12 entering halftime.
The Pride took its biggest lead of the day with three straight goals to open the second half, including two from Paz Gismondi to give him his second hat trick of the season. However, once again Widener penalties gave the Knights the opportunity they needed and four straight Arcadia goals followed by another from the Pride tied the score at 16 with nine minutes remaining in the game. Both teams played hard defense in the finals minutes, but it was Mike Kala’i who found rope at the 3:17 mark to give the Pride the go-ahead goal. Dyer netted one more in the final minute to ice the game as the Blue and Gold rolled to its sixth victory of the season.
DelVal 12, Albright 11, OT
The Aggies scored three goals in the final 42 seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime, and junior long-pole Sean Mylod buried the game-winner 3:08 into the extra session.
The non-conference win moves DelVal to 4-3 overall while the Lions fell to 1-5.
The Aggies fell into a 3-0 deficit less than four minutes into the game and went into the second quarter down, 4-2. Albright got back to a three-goal advantage early in the second, but DelVal was able to pot three in the second to cut it to a one-point game at the half, 6-5.
The Aggies outscored the Lions 3-2 in the third including a man-up tally by Brett Ziegler (Camden Catholic) that knotted the score at 8-8 going into the fourth quarter.
Albright benefited from a pair of man-up opportunities in the fourth to extend its lead back to three, 11-8 with just 5:12 left in regulation.
DelVal’s dramatic comeback began with Matt Waibel (Avon Grove) drawing in a pair of defenders and kicking a pass out to Brandon Keller who wired one to the top corner 13 yards out to make it 11-9. Just 34 seconds later, Waibel scored his fourth of the game from nearly the same spot to pull the home team within one. The Aggies won the ensuing faceoff with Chris Dearden (Hatboro-Horsham) scooping the ground ball and dishing off to Dylan Brasch (Clearview Regional) who made no mistake from 11 yards out as he beat the keeper to the far corner to tie the game with 2:39 left in regulation.
Albright committed two fouls down the stretch but the Aggies could not capitalize on either of the one- minute man-up opportunities and the game went to overtime at 11-11.
DelVal had the first possession of the overtime, but came away empty handed and the Lions marched down the other way. They got a shot on goal that DelVal keeper Jim Murphy absorbed and quickly started the Aggies on a clear attempt the other way with 1:09 on the clock. Murphy cleared to Michael Florig ( Pope John Paul II). Florig advanced over the timeline with a pass to George Evanick (Souderton). Evanick got the ball to PJ Rafferty (Avon Grove), and Rafferty calmly found a cutting Mylod who made no mistake from in tight as he beat the keeper to the stick side to send the home team into a frenzy on the field with a 12-11 victory.
Keller finished with a team-high five points on four goals and an assist. Rafferty and Brasch each had four points with four assists, and four goals, respectively. Brett Ziegler scored three times, Dearden had two assists and Waibel had one to round out the scoring for DelVal.
Dearden and Luke Kelchner (St. Joseph’s Prep) combined to win 11-of-16 faceoffs as the Aggies were 13-for-25 for the game. Kelchner added five ground balls and two caused turnovers to his total while Mylod led the team with seven ground balls and also finished with two caused turnovers.