CARLISLE, Pa. – The Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team, thanks to a 7-0 second quarter surge, knocked off Dickinson 11-6 on Sunday afternoon in a season-opening clash between two Top 15 teams in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) poll.
Matthew Pergola and
Tommy Robertozzi each finished with hat tricks for the No. 13 Ducks (1-0);
Joseph Grippo scored twice – surpassing 100 career goals – and added a game high four assists,
Luke Lesizza grabbed two ground balls and caused three turnovers, and
Cooper Foote was excellent in goal, recording 16 saves.
Jackson Penn was nearly perfect on face-offs, winning 16 of 19, including all eight during Stevens' monster second quarter.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Robertozzi struck first for the Ducks less than two minutes in. After peppering Dickinson goalie Rocco Bognet with seven shots in less than five minutes through an extended possession, Robertozzi fed
Finlay MacKnight for a 2-0 Stevens lead at the 8:01 mark. The Ducks put two more attempts on target (four in all) in the closing stretch, but the No. 10 Red Devils tied things at two with a pair of goals in the final 20 seconds.
Stevens made sure things did not remain tied for long, finding the net with two of its first four shots in the second quarter, the first on a Grippo-to-Pergola connection and the second coming via a
Shea Grant solo effort. Pergola notched his second of the quarter off an
Adam DeCristofaro assist at the 10:45 mark. Off a Robertozzi-caused turnover shy of midfield, Grippo added another helper, feeding
Connor Gabilanes. After more than three scoreless minutes, Grippo took matters into his own hands, scoring twice less than 90 seconds apart, putting the Ducks up 8-2; Pergola, on a man-up opportunity, scored in the final 90 seconds for the final goal of the half.
The Red and Gray took eight shots in the third quarter but could not find the back of the net as Dickinson worked back to 9-5 heading to the fourth. After both teams went more than 12 minutes without a goal, Robertozzi notched his second of the day just shy of the midway point of the quarter off a feed from Grippo; the duo teamed up again with 2:30 left for Robertozzi's hat trick.
FROM THE FIELD – Head Coach Gene Peluso
"Great win today against a great and well coach Dickinson squad. I loved how we came out in the first half with fight and poise.
Jackson Penn was our MVP today with his dominance at the faceoff circle. The play we got from
Luke Lesizza and
Luke Cifuentes was gritty and tough.
Cooper Foote making some big saves for us was also a big reason. I thought our attackmen played with poise and helped us settle in in the first half. Joe Grippo showed why he's a captain and a leader today not only with his play, but with his leadership. Robertozzi with three goals and an assist really did a nice job today, and Pergola with three goals really showcased our ability to finish; a great team win by our student-athletes and we're excited and focused on the next one"
Inside the Box Score
- Pergola and Robertozzi notched their 26th and 1st hat tricks as Ducks, respectively.
- Foote's 16 saves were a career high and nearly matched his save total from the 2023 and 2024 seasons combined.
- Penn's 84.2 percent faceoff win rate established a new career high.
Up Next: The Ducks head to Massachusetts for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday, February 22, against Springfield.
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