Boxscore
(Allentown, Pa.) – The #6-ranked Dickinson College men's lacrosse team remained on-task on Wednesday night, posting a 10-5 win under the lights at Muhlenberg. The Red Devils secured the top seed in the Centennial Conference Tournament on Saturday, but did not let up, improving to 13-1 overall and 7-0 in the CC.
Junior Ward Gruppo (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Prep) and sophomore Matt Cherry (Radnor, Pa./Radnor) each tallied a goal and an assist in the first half as the Devils took a 4-0 lead into the break. The first quarter saw just one goal as Gruppo put Dickinson on the board, despite a solid effort in goal Mike Horowitz. Horowitz stopped six shots in the opening stanza on the way to 18 in the game.
Sophomore goaltender Greg Hanley (Laurel Hollow, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor) had his hands full as well on the night, stopping 16 shots to earn his 12th win of the season in the Devil net.
Gruppo tallied the only goal of the first and assisted Nick Leon (Chevy Chase, Md./Gonzaga) to give the Devils a 3-0 lead with 6:25 remaining in the half. Cherry opened the second quarter with an unassisted goal at the midway point and later found Pat Curley (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. St. Joseph) for an extra-man goal to give the Devils a 4-0 advantage at the break.
The attacks took center stage in the third as each team put up four goals to make the score 8-4 at the end of the third. Ian Jones scored off the face-off, netting the Mules' first goal of the game just 10 seconds into the second half.
The Devils answered as Cherry struck again at the 13:14 mark, then assisted classmate Christian Beitel (Newtown, Pa./Newtown) with 11:30 to play in the third. First-year Brian Gleason (Darien, Conn./Darien) made the score 7-1 before Muhlenberg looked to rally, scoring three straight.
The Mules struck twice in under a minute at the midway point of the half, then tallied again with 3:10 remaining to pull the Mules within three, 7-4. Beitel finished an assist from Long-stick defenseman John Haire (Darien, Conn./Darien) with 21 seconds left in the third for an 8-4 Devil lead.
Gleason added a goal at the 8:29 mark of the fourth and Bobby Kingsley (Bethesda, Md./St. Albans) put the Devils at double-figures with 6:05 remaining in regulation.
Muhlenberg would tally once more with 4:10 remaining as they fall to 5-8 overall and 2-5 in the conference. Five different players scored for the Mules while Nick Rispoli won 11-of-13 face-offs on the night, adding seven ground balls.
Cherry led the Devil attack with two goals and two assists while Gleason struck twice and controlled six ground balls. Long-stick middie Brandon Palladino (Basking Ridge, N.J./Basking Ridge) was solid again, forcing five turnovers and controlling five ground balls. Defenseman Peter Zouck (Baltimore, Md./Gilman) added three caused turnovers and controlled five GBs as well.
Nick Weaver (New York, N.Y./Millbrook School) and Kevin Joy (Darien, Conn./Darien) combined for eight GBs in the midfield as well.
The Red Devils (13-1, 7-0) return home to face Franklin & Marshall on Saturday. Opening face-off is scheduled for 3:00 pm.
