HOBOKEN, N.J. – In the first meeting between the teams since last season's Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom Championship, the No. 8 Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team knocked off DeSales on Wednesday night at DeBaun Athletic Complex, 14-6.

Stevens (10-3, 4-0 MACF) scored at least three times in each quarter, Matthew Pergola leading the way with five goals. Adam DeCristofaro and Joseph Grippo each had two and Blake Creamer, Jackson Penn, Shea Grant, Tommy Robertozzi, and Tyler Holland all had one.

Bryan Creamer, Ford Carney, and Hudson Rocheville combined for 11 ground balls and caused two turnovers apiece. Penn and Bastian Chorazykiewicz were a combined 13-for-21 from the face-off X. Cooper Foote made 12 saves, more than the previous three MAC Freedom games combined.

HOW IT HAPPENED
DeSales scored first less than a minute in and held the lead a little more than three minutes before Pergola knotted the game at the 10:52 mark.

Multiple shots from both sides went wide or were turned aside by Foote and DeSales goalkeeper Hunter Waldron until DeCristofaro and Holland scored in the final two minutes of the quarter.

Robertozzi made it a three-goal lead in the opening 90 seconds of the second before DeSales got one back at the 9:09 mark. Pergola completed his hat trick with back-to-back goals and Grippo made it three straight for the Ducks before DeSales scored the final goal of the half, Stevens carrying a 7-3 advantage to the locker room.

Pergola and Grippo made it 9-3 with the first two of the second half but DeSales remained within striking distance with two straight of their own, pulling back within four at the 7:03 mark. Penn and Creamer quieted any further thought of a Bulldogs comeback with the final two goals of the quarter, Creamer scoring off a ground ball pickup from an initial Pergola shot in the final 30 seconds of the quarter.

DeCristofaro, Grant, and Pergola all added goals in the fourth as the Ducks picked up their fifth straight win and moved to 9-0 all-time against DeSales.

Inside the Box Score

• DeCristofaro has four goals in his last three games after notching two in his first 10.
• Pergola scored at least four goals for the sixth time this season and notched at least five points for the eighth time.
• Chorazykiewicz finished 6-for-8 on face-offs and is now 29-for-33 in MAC Freedom play, good for an 87.9 winning percentage.

Up Next: Stevens welcomes Arcadia to DeBaun on Saturday for Senior Day. Opening face-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
 
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