Philippi, Faubert Key Men's Lacrosse Season Opening Win Over Endicott

2/26/2011 12:00:00 AM

HOBOKEN, N.J. (February 26, 2011) – Sophomore Nicolas Philippi and senior co-captain Brandon Faubert combined for nine goals, as the Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team upended Commonwealth Coast Conference preseason favorite and Lacrosse Magazine No.18, Endicott College, 15-9 at the De Baun Athletic Complex in Hoboken, N.J.

Hoping to get off to a good start, sophomore midfielder Marc Malecki controlled the game's opening faceoff before racing toward goal and scoring the Ducks' first tally of 2011 just seven seconds into the contest. Settling into the game, Endicott notched seven of the game's next eight shots, but the Stevens' defense held steady, with junior netminder Eric Yando making a pair of saves during that span.

With time winding down in the first, Ducks' senior Joey Simone staked Stevens to a 2-0 advantage, but Endicott's junior attacker Brian Vincent (Norwalk, Conn.) answered, putting the Gulls on the board at the 57 second mark with his first score of the season.

Looking to extend the lead, Faubert netted the first of his four goals of the day, 3:48 seconds into the second quarter, making it 3-1 in favor of the Ducks. Not to be outdone, Endicott scored three-straight goals over a six-minute span to take a 4-3 lead with 5:11 left before half. Sophomore Brian Estes (Derry, N.H.) kick-started the Gulls rally with an unassisted marker at 10:09 before assisting on senior attackman Jack Curtis' (Chelmsford, Mass.) goal just under the seven-minute mark. Senior Kyle Jordan (Falmouth, Mass.) capped off the Endicott run with an assisted score at 5:11.

Needing a goal to pull even, the Ducks got just that, with Faubert tying the game at 1:56 with his second tally of the contest. Hoping to take the lead before the break, senior midfielder Chris Laurita netted an unassisted marker with just 41 seconds before the horn to give Stevens a 5-4 edge heading into the intermission.

Coming out of the break, Endicott junior Jon Thanas (Cumberland, R.I.) evened the game at five with a goal at 14:12, but Faubert and Laurita again went back-to-back, this over a minute and a half span to help Stevens recapture the lead, 7-5. Trying to keep pace, Curtis and junior Harry Holden (Duxbury, Mass.) tallied consecutive goals to deadlock the game at seven with 1:28 remaining in the third period, but Philippi strung together a pair of scores, including one with just one second left on the clock.

The sophomore midfielder picked up right where he left off to start the fourth, scoring his third goal of the day within the first three minutes of the frame to put the Ducks up 10-7. Stevens' junior attacker Kevin Rose then capped off the Ducks' string of four-consecutive goals with his first tally of the year.

Gulls' sophomore Connor McCormack (Norwalk, Conn.) would respond with a goal just seconds later to pull Endicott back within three, but two more Philippi goals and a Faubert score all but put the game out of reach as the Ducks held on for their first victory of the season.

Philippi finished with five goals, while Faubert added four scores. Laurita scored three goals, while Simone, Rose, and Malecki each netted scores for the Ducks. Rose finished with a pair of assists in the win, while junior Rich Dupras added two helpers. Yando finished with 19 saves in the victory.

Curtis led Endicott with three tallies, while McCormack, Estes, Vincent, Thanas, and Jordan each netted a goal. Junior goalkeeper Marco Duca (Waltham, Mass.), made three saves in the loss.

Stevens, which held a 53-41 shot advantage, while forcing 27 Endicott turnovers, returns to action on March 2 against Eastern Connecticut State University.
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