PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Junior
Ryan Collins (Attleboro, Mass.) scored five times and senior
Owen McNichols (Manchester, N.H.) matched the program record for career wins as third-seeded Plymouth State University soared past sixth-seeded Vermont State University Castleton, 17-4, in the first round of the Little East Conference Men's Lacrosse Tournament at Panther Field on Tuesday afternoon.
After a slow start, the Panthers scored four times in less than two minutes to take a 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter. PSU extended the margin to 7-1 by halftime and put the game away with six goals in the third quarter.
Collins finished with six points and was one goal shy of his career best of six goals set two weeks ago. McNichols, who made five saves, improved to 13-4 on the year, matching his own program record for wins in a season established just last spring, while also matching the program mark for career wins with 30.
Plymouth State improves to 13-4 and advances to face second-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston in Thursday's (May 2) semifinal round. The Spartans end the year with a 3-14 mark.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 17, VTSU Castleton 4
- Plymouth State (13-4)
- VTSU Castleton (3-14)
How it Happened:
- The game got off to a slow start as neither team was able to find the back of the cage through the first ten minutes.
- Senior Crosby Fay (Waterville Valley, N.H.) broke the ice with 4:57 left in the opening frame and freshman Aiden Renner (Phillipsburg, N.J.) doubled the score just six seconds later. Collins followed with his first of the afternoon with four minutes on the clock and graduate student Alex Hawkom (Manchester, N.H.) made it 4-0 44 seconds later.
- Collins converted again in the opening minute of the second to extend the margin to 5-0 before the visitors got on the board.
- The Panthers raced into halftime with a 7-1 lead thanks to goals from sophomore Brady Hunt (Billerica, Mass.) and junior Ryan Jones (Tolland, Conn.) late in the period.
- Fay deposited his second of the day 3:30 into the third and Hunt assisted on goals by junior Aiden O'Laughlin (Londonderry, N.H.) and sophomore Cam Jenkins (Shrewsbury, Mass.) before Hunt buried another as the lead ballooned to 11-1.
- The Spartans scored two straight, but Collins poured in a pair of goals in an eight-second span as PSU built a 13-3 advantage headed to the fourth quarter.
- Collins capped his day with his final goal with nine minutes to go and Fay followed a minute later. Sophomores Josh Manickam (Littleton, Mass.) and Nic Lorizio (Milton, Mass.) closed out the scoring for the Panthers in the fourth before a late Castleton goal accounted for the final score.
By the Numbers:
- Collins finished with five goals and an assist, finishing one goal shy of his career best set two weeks ago in a win over Mass. Maritime.
- McNichols matched his program record for wins in a season (13) after making five stops. His 30 career wins is also tied for the program lead.
- Fay added four goals and a helper, while Hunt also had a five-point game with a goal and four assists.
- Renner won 9-of-10 faceoffs and scooped a game-high seven ground balls, while junior Leif Charbonneau (North Grafton, Mass.) went 13-2 on faceoffs with six ground balls.
- Junior Joey Loeber (Chelmsford, Mass.) led all players with four caused turnovers.
- PSU held a 42-11 advantage in shots on goal and converted 21-of-23 clear opportunities. The Spartans finished 24-for-32.
- The Panthers won the ground ball battle, 54-23, and took 22-of-25 faceoffs.
- Plymouth State improves to 24-3 against the Spartans, winning each of the last seven meetings.
- The Panthers advance to the semifinals for the third time in four postseasons under head coach Mike Wilus, and the 17th time since the conference adopted the sport in 2001.
Up Next:
- Third-seeded Plymouth State heads to second-seeded UMass Boston for the semifinal round on Thursday (May 2) at 1:00 p.m. The Beacons are responsible for PSU's lone conference blemish, an 11-9 decision back on Mar. 30.
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