Brunswick, Maine – The No. 11 Stevens Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team was clipped by No. 2 Bowdoin College 17-14 in the Third Round of the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament on Sunday.
The Ducks closed the season with an 18-3 record, tying the school-record for wins in a season. Stevens captured their sixth consecutive MAC Freedom Championship this season and moved onto the Third Round for the fifth time in six seasons.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Bowdoin struck first less than two minutes into the contest before
Chris Ciccarello answered for Stevens off a feed from
Joe Leone to even the game at one. The Polar Bears responded with three goals over the final 7:52 of the quarter, including a pair of man-up tallies, to take a 4-1 lead after one.
Stevens came roaring back in the second quarter. Ciccarello scored 32 seconds into the period before
Will Labartino buried a pass from Leone to pull the Ducks within one at 4-3. Bowdoin answered with three straight goals to rebuild a four-goal cushion, but Stevens again surged back.
Joe Leone started the rally with an unassisted marker before Ciccarello completed his hat trick on a man-up opportunity off an
Adam DeCristofaro assist.
Tyler Holland and
Samuel Bruno added late goals as Stevens scored four of the last five tallies to trail 8-7 entering the break.
Bowdoin opened the third with four of the fives goals, opening up a 12-8 advantage. Stevens mounted a comeback, as
Ryan Jack and
Samuel Bruno cut the deficit in half with goals 24 seconds apart. Trailing 12-10,
Matthew Pergola scored with just under two minutes left in the frame and Ciccarello leveled the contest at 12 off a Holland assist.
The two sides traded two-goal scoring runs, midway through the fourth and final period, DeCristofaro and Leone potted unassisted markers, tying the game at 14 with 8:11 left. After Bowdoin scored to make it 15-14, Stevens won the ensuing faceoff but turned the ball over.
A pushing penalty gave Bowdoin a man-up and they converted, extending the lead back to two. The home side added one more goal 10 seconds later, and they held Stevens without a shot on goal over the final 8:11 to seal the victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Ciccarello led Stevens with four goals on six shots on goal, while Leone totaled five points on two goals and three assists.
- Labartino added three goals, while DeCristofaro finished with one goal and three assists. Holland, Bruno, Jack, and Pergola each found the back of the net.
- Bastian Chorazykiewicz was dominant at the faceoff X, winning 16-of-29 draws while collecting a game-high 10 ground balls.
- Michael Jannotte made 13 saves in goal for the Ducks.
