CARLISLE, Pa. – The fourth-ranked Dickinson men's lacrosse team began their quest towards an NCAA Championship by putting on a defensive clinic against the visiting University of Scranton Royals picking up a 10-3 win in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament in front of a rowdy Biddle Field crowd.
The defense was on display early as
Ben Tomick knocked the ball free from Alex Eglitis resulting in shots by
Sam Campbell and
Sascha Gannon which forced one stop out of Declan Allen. Then with exactly three minutes gone
James Isaacson found
Ethan Gess for the 1-0 lead. After a shot-clock violation forced by the Devils,
Charlie Baughan hit Isaacson for a 2-0 edge, before a giveaway caused by
Capp Reynolds allowed
Sam Bunten to setup
Owen Porter (3-0). It would take until the 7:37 mark for DC keeper
Patrick Scarborough to make his first save denying Kyle Holmes. That would allow Porter to go back down the field and cash in once again this time off a dish from Baughan. Scranton took advantage of two late Dickinson penalties to collect a pair of goals by Myles McCutcheon and Pat McCormack to trim it down to 4-2 through one.
The Royals tried to carry that momentum into the second recording five of the first six shots of the period forcing Scarborough into making a pair of saves. With seven minutes off the clock Allen had the answer for
Liam Carney, but off the ensuing failed clear attempt for the visitors Campbell buried the rock to open the gap out to 5-2. Each team would have three more shots over the final seven minutes with Holmes hitting the crossbar for Scranton, while Baughan, Carney and Porter each forced a save out of Allen to leave the score at 5-2 with 30 minutes in the books.
Dickinson needed 1:45 to come off the clock in the third, before Gannon hit
Luke Whalen for the strike and the 6-2 edge. After Scarborough shutdown Holmes, Gannon would clang a pair of pipes,
Griffin Moore rang one off the crossbar and Isaacson missed the cage just wide. Gess jarred the rock free from Eglitis and tracked down the loose ball with just over seven minutes to go. He then found Baughan who gave it back to Gess for the goal.
Ben Trucksess claimed the ensuing faceoff and put the Devils back on the attack as shots went wide from
Mac Childs,
Skyler Schluter and Gannon, while Allen denied Whalen. However, Allen could not stop Gannon from scoring as he one-timed home a pass from Childs to make it 8-2 with 5:16 left. The Red and White made it 9-2 just under a minute later as Trucksess won the faceoff to Carney who got the ball over to Isaacson for the rip. Dickinson's defense continued to put on a masterclass as they held Scranton without a shot over the final 8:30 to take a sizable advantage into the fourth.
Allen would make amends for his early turnover in the fourth by robbing both Gannon and Porter. Turnovers caused by the duo of
Jack Deady and
Evan Karetsos continued to allow the Devils keep the Royals on lockdown as the game entered the final eight minutes. Brendan Donohue thought he had brought an end to the Royals scoreless stretch, but the goalie's best friend the post was there to help out Scarborough. Another turnover by Allen on a failed clear resulted in goal number ten for the Red and White with Baughan striking unassisted. Scranton notched the final six shots of the game over the last five minutes with three of them coming at new DC keeper
Rocco Bognet who made one stop, but allowed a goal to Liam Sayre to set the 10-3 final.
Red Devil Leaders
Goals – Gess, Isaacson and Porter (2)
Assists – Baughan (3)
Groundballs – Trucksess (10),
Xander Usich (3)
Faceoff – Trucksess (10-14)
Saves – Scarborough (4), Bognet (1)
Royal Leaders
Goals – McCormack, McCutcheon and Sayre (1)
Assists – Boyle and Kozak (1)
Groundballs – Lord (5), Allen (3)
Faceoffs – O'Connor (2-7), Miller (2-4)
Saves – Allen (14)
Next on the Turf
Dickinson (17-2) will take on the Panthers of Middlebury College Sunday afternoon at 3pm on the Biddle Field turf in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. Middlebury knocked off SUNY Geneseo 17-10 on Saturday to earn a date with the Devils.
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