HOBOKEN, N.J. – For the second straight year, the Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team opened the season with a Top 10 win over Dickinson, holding off the Red Devils, 9-8, from DeBaun Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon.
364 days after the then-No. 13 Ducks knocked off the then-No. 10 Red Devils, Stevens – No. 16 in this year's preseason poll – held off the reigning national finalists, who checked in at No. 6 in this year's preseason poll.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Graduate transfer
Chris Ciccarello notched the Ducks' first goal of the season late in the first quarter. Junior
Jackson Penn tied the game at two early in the second, part of a back-and-forth start as the teams alternated the game's first five goals.
With five minutes left before the half, the Stevens attack made a statement, putting three on the board in just over three minutes, getting a goal apiece from
Adam DeCristofaro, Penn (again), and senior
Matthew Pergola, for a 5-3 lead that Dickinson trimmed back to one at the half.
Stevens rebuilt a three-goal cushion just past six minutes gone in the third quarter following scores from graduate transfer
Will Labartino and Pergola, but Dickinson answered back with two in a row, closing to within one with just over a minute to play in the third.
Penn ended the third with his third of the day and DeCristofaro opened the fourth with his second, once again providing Stevens a three-goal cushion. After nearly a six-minute scoreless stretch for each side, Dickinson closed back to within one with a pair less than one minute apart, but could not find one final goal to tie, as
Michael Jannotte made the final of his 19 saves with 1:33 left on Dickinson's last shot attempt of the day.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Senior Luke Lesizza caused a pair of turnovers, becoming the program's all-time career leader with 122
- Penn finished with his first collegiate hat trick and Ryan Jack handed out three assists in his collegiate debut
- Pergola and DeCristofaro each added two goals; for Pergola, he notched multiple goals for the 52nd time as a Duck; for DeCristofaro, it marked his eighth game out of his last 10 with exactly two goals dating back to last season
- Jannotte's 19 saves were the most in a game for the program since Kevin Holtby had 19 against Dickinson on March 15, 2024
- First-year Tynan Murray tied for the team lead with five ground balls and a caused turnover
- Sophomore Bastian Chorazykiewicz won seven faceoffs and scooped five ground balls; senior Will Giarrusso won three faceoffs and finished with five ground balls
- The Ducks held narrow advantages across the stat sheet, winning 10 of 19 faceoffs, successfully clearing 22 of 24 total attempts (Dickinson was 22-for-28), and committing three fewer turnovers than the Red Devils
UP NEXT
The Ducks host Springfield next Saturday, February 21, at 3:00 PM at DeBaun.
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