MEN'S LAX FALLS TO NON-CONFERENCE EAST CONN 11-6

The Mount Ida College men’s lacrosse team fell 11-6 to visiting Eastern Connecticut State University in non-conference action on a sunny Thursday afternoon in Newton, Massachusetts.  The Mustangs, who have yet to beat the Warriors in the three consecutive seasons they’ve faced each other, fall to 2-4 overall while the visitors improve to 3-4.

East Conn came out hot netting the first three goals of the contest in the opening seven minutes of the game on scores by senior Vinny Tornatore (Norwalk, CT/Norwalk), junior Grant Albertson (New Canaan, CT/Trinity Pawling (NY)), and sophomore Salieu Bolivar (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon) taking an immediate 3-0 advantage with less than nine minutes to go in the first quarter.

The Mustangs got on the board off a senior Christopher Prophete (Waltham, MA/Waltham) score on a pinpointed shot in the top corner fed by junior Dan Harrington (Westford, MA/Westford Academy) trailing 3-1 with 7:33 to go in the opening stanza.

After the Warriors countered three and a half minutes later on another Bolivar score, the Mustangs converted their second of the game on an unassisted goal by senior Brandon Keith (Barnstable, MA/Barnstable) pulling within two down 4-2 to start the second quarter.

The Warriors did not let off the gas scoring the next three goals to dominate the middle of the second frame on unassisted scores from junior Brian Fechtman (Levitttown, NY/Division Avenue) and two from senior Zach Malouf (Norwich, CT/Norwich Free Academy) giving the visitors a commanding 7-2 advantage.

The Mustangs netted the final goal of the first half on an unassisted score from freshman Nick Yacuzzi (Oakham, MA/St. John’s) that was snipered into the top corner through traffic cutting the advantage to 7-3.

Mount Ida came out inspired in the second half scoring the first two goals of the third quarter starting with senior Kevin Mulvey’s (Peabody, MA/Peabody) first goal of the season making it 7-4.  Junior Matthew Savage (Peabody, MA/Peabody) added another two and half minutes later on an unbelievable through the legs goal cutting the Warrior advantage to two goals (7-5). 

After the Mustangs dominated the third quarter, East Conn slammed the door shut scoring four consecutive goals throughout the fourth frame on goals from Malouf, Bolivar, Albertson and senior Maxim Fantl (West Hartford, CT/William H. Hall) blowing the game open taking a commanding 11-5 lead.

Harrington converted the final goal for Mount Ida with under a second to go in the contest handing the Warriors an 11-6 non-conference victory. 

The game was very even in most of the statistical categories with the visitors handling the groundball battle with 38 to Mount Ida’s 34.  The squad’s were even in turnovers with 23 a piece. 

Mount Ida goaltender sophomore Jimmy McAllister (Smithfield, RI/LaSalle Academy) was outstanding in net denying 15 Warrior shots while ECSU goalie freshman Donald Berube (Tewksbury, MA/Tewksbury) stopped 13 Mustang attempts.

Mount Ida men’s lacrosse will host North Atlantic Conference (NAC) rival Castleton State College this coming Saturday in a double header with the women’s lacrosse program with the men starting at 1:00 p.m.  The Spartans handed the Mustangs their first ever NAC loss last year snapping a five year conference winning streak.  The Mustangs eventually beat Castleton in the conference championship game convincingly at the end of the year.