PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior
Crosby Fay (Thornton, N.H.) posted career highs of nine goals and ten points, including his 200th career goal, as third-seeded Plymouth State University dominated the second half to knock off sixth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University, 19-6, in the first round of the Little East Conference (LEC) Men's Lacrosse Tournament at Panther Field on Tuesday night.
Fay joins Hall of Famer Jim Martocchio '01 as the only players in program history to record 200-plus goals. Senior
Ryan Jones (Tolland, Conn.) also reached a milestone, registering his 100th career point.
Eastern Connecticut grabbed an early lead, but Fay's historic goal with five minutes left in the first quarter tied the game. Fay and sophomore
Aiden Renner (Phillipsburg, N.J.) each scored in the final 20 seconds, giving the Panthers a 3-1 lead after one.
The Warriors responded early in the second, but Fay answered 33 seconds later before adding his fourth of the night with ten minutes remaining in the half. Jones tacked on a late goal to create a 6-2 cushion at the break.
Plymouth State pulled away in the second half, scoring four straight goals in the third to extend the margin. The Panthers carried an 11-4 advantage into the final stanza and coasted from there, outscoring the Warriors 8-2 in the fourth to secure the win.
Plymouth State (11-4) advances to face second-seeded University of Massachusetts Boston in the semifinal round on Thursday (May 1) at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Connecticut concludes its season with a 6-8 record.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 19, Eastern Connecticut 6
- Plymouth State (11-4)
- Eastern Connecticut (6-8)
How it Happened:
- The Warriors struck first just over two minutes in, and the score remained 1-0 for much of the opening quarter.
- Fay netted his 200th career goal with five minutes left in the first to even the score, then gave the Panthers the lead for good with just 17 seconds remaining. Renner won the ensuing faceoff and sprinted downfield, beating the ECSU goalie to make it 3-1 after one.
- Eastern Connecticut trimmed the lead to 3-2 one minute into the second, but Fay responded just 33 seconds later. He added his fourth of the game midway through the frame, and Jones pushed the lead to 6-2 before halftime.
- Plymouth State opened the third with four consecutive goals, including two from senior Aiden O'Loughlin (Londonderry, N.H.), to pull away.
- The Warriors briefly halted the momentum with back-to-back goals, but Fay's sixth tally made it 11-4 heading into the fourth.
- Jones recorded his 100th career point early in the fourth, and Fay added three consecutive goals to spark an 8-2 closing run.
By the Numbers:
- Fay's nine goals and ten points marked new career highs. He now stands at 208 career goals and 231 career points.
- Jones finished with three goals and two assists, becoming the 32nd player in program history to reach 100 career points.
- Junior Brady Hunt (Billerica, Mass.) handed out five assists, while Renner added one goal, four assists, 12 ground balls, two caused turnovers, and won 12-of-17 faceoffs.
- Senior Leif Charbonneau (North Grafton, Mass.) won 8-of-12 faceoffs.
- Classmate Ethan Schena (Methuen, Mass.) made eight saves to earn the win.
- PSU held a 33-18 advantage in shots on goal and dominated the ground ball battle, 30-13.
- The Panthers converted 22-for-25 clear attempts.
Up Next:
- Third-seeded Plymouth State visits second-seeded UMass Boston for a semifinal game on Thursday (May 1). Opening faceoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
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