PITTSFORD, N.Y (March 30, 2008) – Seven different players scored goals for host St. John Fisher College as the Cardinals posted a 7-6 win over the Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team on Sunday afternoon in Pittsford, N.Y. With the victory, St. John Fisher improved to 7-2 on the year and moved into fifth place in the Empire 8 with mark of 2-2. The Ducks, who had won four games in a row, fell to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the Empire 8 with the loss. Stevens is currently in second place in the conference.
Junior midfielder Matt Keating led the Ducks with two goals. He also had three ground balls. Senior attacker John Dolny finished with a goal and an assist. Freshman midfielder Christopher Laurita collected one goal and two ground balls. Sophomore attacker Daniel Prakopcyk and freshman midfielder Ian Burgess added a goal apiece.
Senior defender/long-stick midfielder Nick Daniello picked up a team-best five ground balls for Stevens. Junior long-stick midfielder Chris Ford and junior defender Mike Chase added three ground balls apiece. Freshman goalie Dave Decker stopped 14 shots in the game.
St. John Fisher was led by sophomore attacker Dave Malone (Penfield, N.Y.), who totaled three points from a goal and two assists. Sophomore goalie Jon Cortina (Binghamton, N.Y.) made 10 saves to pick up the victory. Junior midfielder Dave Wood (Vestal, N.Y.) was 12-for-16 in faceoffs and collected nine ground balls.
Tied 2-2 at halftime, Stevens took the lead when Dolny scored an unassisted goal with 12:20 remaining in the third quarter. After the Cardinals scored to knot the game up again, Prakopcyk found the back off the net off a feed from sophomore attacker Josh Holmes late in the period. Fisher answered back with the tying goal as the two teams headed to the fourth quarter deadlocked at 4-all.
After junior midfielder Jason Cirulli (Webster, N.Y.) and Keating traded goals, the Cardinals opened a two-goal advantage with 6:56 to play on back-to-back goals by senior midfielder Mike Cortina (Binghamton, N.Y.) and sophomore attacker Scott Bowen (Binghamton, N.Y.). Keating cut the Ducks' deficit to 7-6 with 4:16 to play, but Stevens was unable to score the equalizer in the final moments.
For the game, Fisher owned a 32-23 advantage in shots and 31-28 edge in ground balls. The Cardinals won 13-of-17 faceoffs and converted on 85 percent (17-for-20) of their clearing attempts. Stevens was 21-for-29 (72.4 percent) in clears.
The Ducks will return to action on Sunday, April 6 when they host conference-leading Rochester Institute of Technology at 1 p.m. That game will be carried live at www.Empire8.tv. The Tigers are currently 3-0 in the Empire 8.
