MONTCLAIR, N.J. (March 20, 2007) – On the same day that he was named the Skyline Conference Player of the Week, junior attack J.R. Oreskovich (San Diego, Calif.) scored five goals on just seven shots as the ninth-ranked Stevens Institute of Technology men’s lacrosse team recorded an 11-8 victory over Montclair State University on Tuesday at Sprague Field in Montclair, N.J. With the win, the Ducks improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in league play.
With Stevens leading 4-3 late in the first half, junior midfielder John Dolny (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) scored off a pass from senior midfielder Mark Bielicky (Bridgewater, N.J.) with 5:42 remaining in the second quarter to put the Ducks up by two. Bielicky added an unassisted goal with one second left on the clock as Stevens carried a 6-3 lead into halftime.
Less than two minutes into the third quarter, Oreskovich converted on a feed from sophomore attack Eric Smith (Oswego, N.Y.) as the Ducks opened a four-goal lead, 7-3. The Red Hawks scored three of the next four goals to close to within 8-6 later in the period.
Stevens put the game away by scoring three times in a six-minute stretch bridging the third and fourth quarters. Smith got things started with his second goal of the contest. Junior midfielder Alex Richards (Beaverton, Ore.) and Oreskovich also scored as the Ducks went on top 11-6 with 10:30 remaining.
Smith finished with two goals and three assists. He also had three ground balls. Bielicky recorded three points from a goal and two assists. He also moved to within one goal of tying Brian Lalli’s (Cranbury, N.J.) school record for career goals. Bielicky has amassed 141 goals and 48 assists (189 points) in his four years with the Ducks. Lalli put up 142 goals and 54 assists (196 points) from 2001-04. He is the all-time leader in career points as well.
Meanwhile, freshman midfielder Bobby Steinhauser (Boonton Township, N.J.) won nine faceoffs against Montclair. Senior goalkeeper Jack Dunderdale (Ridgefield, Conn.) finished with 16 saves in the game.
The Red Hawks (1-3, 0-1 Skyline) were led by sophomore attack/midfielder Tyler Meixner (Hamburg, N.J.), who had two goals. Senior midfielder Evan Wehmeyer (Succasunna, N.J.) totaled a goal and two assists. He also collected five ground balls and won three faceoffs. Sophomore goalkeeper Thomas Bowers (Hamburg, N.J.) made eight saves on the evening.
Montclair out-shot Stevens 38-28 and held a 39-27 advantage in ground balls. The Ducks won 12 of 22 faceoffs and converted on 29 of 36 clear attempts (80.6 percent). The Red Hawks were 30-for-39 (76.9 percent) in clears. Montclair was 1-for-9 in extra-man opportunities while Stevens went 0-for-2.
The Ducks will be back in action on Sunday when they host future Empire 8 rival Rochester Institute of Technology at 1 p.m. The Tigers enter that game ranked No. 2 in the country in the latest USILA Division III Coaches’ Poll. Sunday’s contest will be carried live at www.duckcast.com.
