MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Tommy Robertozzi and Matthew Pergola continued their early season dominance for the No. 8 Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team, combining for seven goals in a 13-7 road win over Messiah on Saturday.

Robertozzi had four goals, Pergola had three, each finishing with five points; Shea Grant and Joseph Grippo each had two goals and three points; Luke Cifuentes, Bryan Creamer, and Luke Lesizza all had four caused turnovers and combined for 15 ground balls; had four caused turnovers and seven ground balls, and Cooper Foote had 11 saves in net.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Ducks were in chase mode throughout the first quarter, erasing a pair of one-goal deficits with goals from Pergola (man-up) and Robertozzi, Messiah taking a 3-2 lead in the final 10 seconds of the quarter.

What turned into a pivotal second quarter began with both sides failing to find the net through the first seven minutes. Exactly midway through, a Messiah turnover turned into a game-tying goal from Finlay Macknight less than 10 seconds later.

Messiah took a 1-0 lead less than a minute in, but Pergola tied things in the final second of a man-up opportunity less than three minutes later. Messiah went back in front 2-1 seven minutes in, but the Pergola-to-Robertozzi connection tied the game (again) just shy of three minutes later. After another scoreless four minutes from each side, Grippo, Robertozzi, and Pergola each added a goal less than three minutes apart, putting Stevens up 6-3 at the half.

The Stevens run continued into the third with Grant making it 7-3, but Messiah halved the lead to 7-5 with a pair of goals just 62 seconds apart. On a man-up opportunity late in the quarter, Pergola fed Grippo, pushing the Stevens' lead back to three after three.

Messiah cut the lead down to one in the first 2:30 of the fourth, but mustered just four shots the rest of the game as four goals from Robertozzi (twice), Jackson Penn, and Pergola in a four-minute span put Stevens up 12-7 with 8:08 and Grant put the icing on the cake with three minutes left.

Inside the Box Score

•  Penn won 11 of 15 faceoffs Saturday, running his percentage for the year to 66.67 percent.
• After scooping just four ground balls and not causing a turnover in the first two games of the season, Cifuentes has now caused six turnovers and scooped 10 ground balls in the last two.
• As a team, Stevens set or tied season-best marks in ground balls (50), caused turnovers (18), and turnover margin (+10)
• Messiah committed 29 turnovers, the most by a Stevens opponent since Delaware Valley committed 39 last April 24.

Next: The Ducks host Oneonta in their home opener (and the first of four straight in Hoboken) on Saturday, March 8 at 1:00 p.m.

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