GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Dickinson men's lacrosse senior goalie
Chris Brandau recorded a season-high 17 saves, including several worthy of ESPN Top-10 Plays consideration to backstop the ninth-ranked Devils to an impressive 12-7 Centennial Conference road victory over the sixth-ranked Bullets of Gettysburg College at Musselman Stadium.
The home side had the first two shots of the game inside the opening three minutes with both Jack Dunleavy and Aidan Wykoff forcing saves out of DC keeper
Chris Brandau, while
Ethan Gess was shutdown by Chase Morgan at the other end. The keepers continued to be on full display in the opening period as both Ethan Kessler and
Capp Reynolds denied by the opposing goalie. The Red and White then recorded the next four shots with
Sascha Gannon missing twice, while
Mac Childs sailed one high. However, at the 11:15 mark it would be the visitors that would strike first when Gannon setup
Charlie Baughan for the finish. Dickinson tried to immediately make it 2-0 as
John McKee claimed another faceoff leading to an attempt from
James Isaacson, unfortunately he was blocked by the defense. The final four shots of the quarter went to Gettysburg with Kessler delivering a man-up tally to level it after one.
The Devils tested Morgan right off the hop to begin the second with McKee taking the opening faceoff and unleashing a shot at the keeper that he batted away. After the DC defense stood tall again when Brandau stoned Kessler the ensuing clear led to
Will Farrell ripping the back of the net unassisted. Once again the visitors tried to take advantage of a McKee win, but Morgan stopped
Ethan Gess. The Bullets continued to put the Dickinson defense under duress recording the next eight shots with Brandau making five saves, before Ryan Cernuto beat the goalie. Then it was the offense turn to take over with
Evan Karetsos,
Owen Porter and Gess all missing high. A slashing penalty against the hosts resulted in Porter scoring man-up. Off the following faceoff win for GC Reynolds knocked the ball loose from Andy Marquet leading to Isaacson setting up Baughan to make it 4-2. Just over a minute later
Sam Campbell struck for the 5-2 advantage with 4:17 left in the half. However, the Bullets picked up the final two goals of the period to close within 5-4 going to the break.
Gettysburg continued to ride the momentum into the start of the second-half as an early man-up chance led to two quick shots for the home side with Brandau having to beat aside one of them. A giveaway by the Bullets led to a shot from
Skyler Schluter sailing high, before Baughan found Porter for the Devils sixth. The Red and White then pushed it to 7-4 with 9:19 left as a one-minute cross-checking penalty to Declan Harrigan resulted in
Jack Murphy cashing in. The remainder of the period would go by without another goal as both Morgan and Brandau between the pipes combined for five more stops (Brandau making three) over the last nine minutes to take the three-goal cushion to the fourth.
Dickinson tried to add-on after another McKee win to start the fourth, but Farrell was denied by Morgan. However, at the other end of the field after Brandau told Kessler "no", Howard tracked down the groundball and found Wykoff for the tally with just two minutes gone. Another Karetsos caused turnover off of Howard allowed Isaacson to send a shot wide, before
Sascha Gannon hit
Mac Childs for the rip and goal to stretch the advantage out to 8-5 at the 4:29 mark. During the next three minutes one Brandau stop along with on McKee faceoff victory let the Red and White score two more times with Schluter and Gannon striking unassisted. Dickinson kept on the attack with shots coming from Campbell (saved), Gannon, Isaacson (post) and Porter, until Gess provided the dish to Porter opening up an 11-5 edge with 2:50 remaining. Gannon would tally with 97-seconds left for the final DC marker, while Gettysburg added two more including with just 30-ticks left to set the 12-7 final.
Red Devil Leaders
Goals - Porter (3), Baughan and Gannon (2)
Assists - Gannon (2)
Groundballs - McKee (11), Karetsos (3),
Sam Bunten,
Cooper Chamberlain and Porter (2)
Saves - Brandau (17)
Bullet Leaders
Goals - Howard and Kessler (2)
Assists - Howard (3)
Groundballs - Marquet (6), Zima (5), Barbera (4)
Saves - Morgan (12)
Next on the Field
Dickinson (11-3, 5-1 Centennial) returns to Biddle Field on Saturday at 3pm for their final regular-season home game against the Fords of Haverford College. It will be Senior Day for the Red and White!
