CARLISLE, Pa. - The ninth-ranked Dickinson men's lacrosse team overcame a 3-1 first quarter hole and a 5-4 halftime deficit, by outscoring the visiting Stevens Institute of Technology 9-1 over the final 30 minutes en route to a 13-6 season-opening win at Biddle Field on Saturday afternoon.
Stevens was on the attack first as Kevin Crowley and Matthew Pergola each recorded shots inside the opening two minutes. However, it would be the Devils on the board first when
Owen Porter buried his first of four on the day past Ryan Leahy. Dickinson goalie
Chris Brandau was tasked with making his first stop of the game with 11:44 to go when he beat aside an offering from Joseph Cawley. The Ducks used the next eight minutes to record nine consecutive shots with Jack Savarese, Crowley and Pergola each hitting the back of the net for a 3-1 edge still with three minutes to go. Porter notched his second unassisted tally at the 13-minute mark, before
Skyler Schluter bested Leahy to knot the score at 3-3 after one.
Dickinson had the first player-up opportunity of the game to start the second as Luke Lesizza sat in the sin bin for an illegal stick, unfortunately the lone shot that came during that time from
Ethan Gess was saved. After each side turned it over twice DC applied the pressure with
Sam Campbell,
Will Farrell,
Matt Thurston and Schluter all recording shots and forcing three saves by Leahy. Then, with just over five minutes off the clock Pergola would notch his first of two in the period as he cashed in again three minutes later to hand the Ducks a two-goal cushion (5-3). Off the ensuing faceoff win by
John McKee, Porter stuck the rock beyond the reach of Leahy to cut the margin to one 5-4 which is where things stayed going to halftime.
It would be all Devils coming out of the break as they scored six times in the third starting with Porter getting his fourth of the contest at the 1:15 mark to tie the score at 5-5. DC then played "make it take it" as two faceoff wins by McKee led to the first of the season for
James Isaacson and the second of the game from Schluter to give the Red and White a 7-5 lead with not even three minutes off the clock. Stevens tried to get back into the game, but attempts by Jake Wright, Pergola and Savarese all hit the post. Dickinson then took advantage of the visitors misses when Gess setup
Griffin Moore for a rocket to make it 8-5, before Isaacson solved Leahy off a nice feed from Campbell. Thurston closed out a dominate third for the home side when stuck a Schluter pass to the back of the cage (10-5). The Ducks would try to chip away heading into the fourth as they recorded five shots inside the last minute, however none of the offerings reached Brandau.
Each team ripped four shots at their respective goals within the opening six minutes of the period, but none of them were able to beat a goalie. Dickinson got the opening marker when Wright turned the ball over to Farrell who found
Carter Wilmot who then hit Moore for his second goal and an 11-5 advantage with 7:42 left. After blasts by Crowley, Savarese and Wright all missed the mark Shaun Siegel got the first of the half for the Ducks. The Red and White would add two more thanks to Campbell and Isaacson for the 13-6 final.
Red Devil Leaders
Goals - Porter (4), Isaacson (3), Moore and Schluter (2)
Assists - Schluter (2)
Groundballs - McKee (16), Brandau and Campbell (4)
Saves - Brandau (6)
Duck Leaders
Goals - Pergola (3)
Assists - Robertozzi (2)
Groundballs - Accardo (6), Haskel and Leahy (5)
Saves - Leahy (16)
Next on the Field
Dickinson (1-0) returns to action on Wednesday afternoon at 4pm when they travel to Selinsgrove to battle Susquehanna University.
