NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Junior
Ryan Jones (Tolland, Conn.) had a career day to boost the Plymouth State University men's lacrosse team to an impressive 17-7 win over Norwich University at Sabine Field on Wednesday evening.
Jones did not hesitate to spark the Panthers' offensive explosion when he scored the first of a career-high six goals in the first 30 seconds during a man-up opportunity. Senior
Crosby Fay (Waterville Valley, N.H.) completed his second hat trick in as many games, with Jones and sophomore
Brady Hunt (Billerica, Mass.) also scoring before the Cadets punched in two of their own for a 6-2 score after one quarter.
After Norwich grabbed its third goal, Jones breezed through the defense for three scores in a row to extend the PSU lead to 9-3. The hosts finished off the half to make it 9-4 at the break.
Plymouth State dominated the rest of the way, outscoring the Cadets 8-3 in the second half to account for the final score.
Plymouth State remains unbeaten at 2-0 while the Cadets take their first loss to fall to 2-1.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 17, Norwich 7
- Plymouth State (2-0)
- Norwich (2-1)
How it Happened:
- The Panthers jumped out to a quick lead starting with Jones on a man-up goal and Fay followed with his first of the day for a 2-0 lead in less than a minute of action.
- Just halfway through the first quarter Fay and Hunt teamed up to double the lead with another two man-up goals to push the margin to 4-0.
- Fay completed his second hat trick of the season and Jones put home his second goal to extend the cushion to 6-0.
- The Cadets closed out the opening period with two goals to cut the deficit to 6-2.
- Norwich got on the board again to begin the second, but PSU responded when Jones threw in a barrage of shots for three straight goals to balloon the Panthers' lead.
- Norwich snuck in a score to end the half trailing 9-4.
- The third quarter was dominated by the Panthers with six unanswered goals. Hunt scored twice, while Fay, Jones, freshman Aiden Renner (Phillipsburg, N.J.) and junior Aiden O'Loughlin (Londonderry, N.H.) tallying one apiece to make the scoreline 15-4.
- Norwich got a pair of scores to start the fourth, but PSU's lead was too great. Graduate student Alex Hawkom (Manchester, N.H.) and freshman Ethan Hansen (Goffstown, N.H.) responded with goals of their own before the Cadets capped the scoring to account for the 17-7 final.
By the Numbers:
- Senior Owen McNichols (Manchester, N.H.) nabbed ten saves for the second straight time, marking his 18th career game with 10-plus stops.
- Fay completed his second hat trick, while Jones poured in a career-high six goals.
- Renner had a goal to go with a team-high ten ground balls, ahead of junior Leif Charbonneau's (North Grafton, Mass.) three. Renner also won 12-of-18 faceoffs.
- Junior Joey Loeber (Chelmsford, Mass.) led the team in caused turnovers with three, while O'Loughlin and seniors Marc Hirshom (Walpole, Mass.) and Jack Bonazzoli (Clinton, Mass.) tallied two apiece.
- The Panthers were 4-of-6 in man-up tries, while the Cadets were 2-for-7.
- PSU was efficient in the clear, going 20-for-23 in attempts. Norwich was 17-of-24.
- Plymouth State outshot the Cadets by a margin of 46-25.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State opens its home slate on Saturday (Mar. 2) with a noon matchup against Curry College.
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