HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 30, 2021)  – Junior Michael Burns and senior Ryan Gebhardt each totaled four goals and two assists to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team to a 25-3 victory over Lycoming College Friday in a MAC Freedom quarterfinal matchup at the DeBaun Athletic Complex. 

First-year Jack Savarese added three goals and two assists for the Ducks, who saw 14 different student-athletes score at least one goal in winning their seventh straight to move to 11-2. The Ducks have won each of the last three meetings between the programs.

Gebhardt, Burns and Savarese accounted for eight of the nine goals as the Ducks built a commanding 9-1 first-quarter lead. Stevens has won at least one game in each of its last five trips to the postseason. The Ducks await the winner of Saturday's quarterfinal matchup between fourth-seeded DeSales University and fifth-seeded Delaware Valley University in next week's semifinals.

"We are excited to take the first step in the MAC Freedom playoffs," said head coach Gene Peluso. "I thought Lycoming played hard and are very well coached. We wish their seniors the very best. It is great to advance today, but our focus now becomes Wednesday's semifinal."

Junior Tyler Ryan had three goals and an assist for his second hat trick of the season. Senior Sean Kunz had a pair of goals for his second multi-goal outing of the season, while classmate Ryan Caplis and Shawn Coulter each had one as Stevens built a 9-1 after one quarter. Juniors Brendan Sullivan and Henry Johnson joined first-years Joseph Grippo, Mikey Whiteshite, Trevor Cole and Nolan Quade, and sophomore Shaun Spiegel, in also finding the back of the net to complete the Ducks' goal scorers.

Grippo, Whiteside, Sullivan, sophomore Trevor Carroll and classmate Henry Murtagh each added an assist to round out Stevens' offensive contributions. Murtagh's third-quarter helper was the first of his career.

"I liked the way we played in our riding game early," Peluso commented, "I also love the play we received from our faceoff units - it really allowed us to control the tempo of the game."

Owen Zimmerman, Dominick Massaro and Rory Hines accounted for the three Lycoming goals. The Warriors finish their 2021 season 1-10.

"We were happy to play every able student-athlete today," Peluso said. "We are proud of the way they stepped up and made plays."

First-year Jake Zeyher drew the start and made four saves to earn his seventh straight victory. Senior Danny Tierney came on at the start of the third quarter and made four saves and first-year Christopher Bartell took the field late in the fourth quarter as all three goalies played for just the second time this season. 

"The ultimate game recognition went to Danny Tierney, who came in in the second half and shut out Lycoming, while making four great saves."

Sean Sonnie started for Lycoming and made 13 saves in just under 29 minutes of action. Dan Cantalfo relieved and made six saves.

With a decisive advantage on the scoreboard, Stevens continued to put points on the board in the second quarter. Caplis opened the quarter by beating Cantalfo just 38 second into the stanza. Ryan followed with two of his three goals over a two-minute stretch as Stevens extended its lead to 10. Quade and Ryan scored in the final minute of the second quarter to send the teams into the intermission with Stevens holding a 16-3 lead.

The offensive onslaught continued with the Ducks scoring nine goals in the second half, while Tierney and Bartell kept the Warriors off the scoreboard, to provide the final margin.

Stevens finished with a 61-17 advantage in shots, including a 23-5 margin in the first quarter. Of the Ducks' 61 attempts, 44 were on goal. Gebhardt led all student-athletes with 10 shots, while Savarese fired off five. Massaro had five attempts to lead Lycoming. 

A swirling wind proved difficult to navigate at times, but it was a swarming Stevens defense that proved most difficult for Lycoming. The Warriors coughed up the ball 32 times, with the Ducks registering 19 caused turnovers. Junior Matt Logan caused three turnovers, while Burns and senior Owen Stempkovski each had two. 

"Matt Logan played great today, picking up four ground balls, causing three turnovers and helping us clear the ball," Peluso offered. "We also recognize Sean Kunz for his gritty play and scoring two goals while fighting through an injury."

The Ducks were outstanding in the faceoff circle, winning 27 of the game's 32 faceoffs. Junior Larry Park went 15-3, while first-year Connor Par went 11-1. First-year Jesse Tareco had one win in the 'X' to round out Stevens' performance in the circle. Lucas Podvey had four of Lycoming's five faceoff wins on the day.

The decisive margin in the faceoff circle, along with Ducks' ability to turn Lycoming over, contributed to a 71-38 advantage in ground balls. Larry Park scooped up eight to lead 28 different Ducks that picked up at least one. Savarese picked up a career-high six, while graduate students Bubba Brennan and Daniel Crotty each had five. Podvey had seven to lead Lycoming. The Ducks' 71 ground balls marked a season high and were the most in a game since Apr. 22, 2015.

Stevens was successful on 24 of its 25 clear attempts, while holding Lycoming to just 22 of 35. 

Up Next: Men's Lacrosse will face either Delaware Valley or DeSales University Wednesday at the DeBaun Athletic Complex. The game time, along with links for live stats and video, will be published to StevensDucks.com.

Please note that all event times, dates and opponents are subject to change.

Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
Twitter: @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks
#AllRise