PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Graduate goalie
Ethan Schena (Methuen, Mass.) made a career-high 22 saves, but Wentworth Institute of Technology used a 5-0 run to break a 3-3 tie before holding on to defeat Plymouth State University, 10-7, in non-conference men's lacrosse action at Panther Field on Wednesday afternoon.
Things went back and forth in the early going, with freshman
Seamus Tattan (West Roxbury, Mass.) converting a man-up chance to tie the game at 3-3 late in the first quarter. The Leopards struck in the closing seconds of the frame to spark a 5-0 spurt that spanned into the third quarter.
Freshman
Hunter Richards (Durham, Maine) scored consecutive goals to make it a three-goal game, 8-5, entering the fourth quarter, but Wentworth answered with back-to-back tallies to push the margin to 10-5 with two minutes remaining. The Panthers attempted to rally, scoring twice in a 10-second span, including Richards' third of the afternoon, but time ran out on PSU's comeback attempt as Wentworth held on for the 10-7 decision.
Plymouth State moves to 3-3, while Wentworth improves to 4-2.
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 7, Wentworth 10
- Plymouth State (3-3)
- Wentworth (4-2)
How it Happened:
- Wentworth won the opening faceoff and scored just 15 seconds in, but junior Aiden Renner (Phillipsburg, N.J.) answered 30 seconds later to tie things at 1-1.
- The Leopards scored consecutive goals to go up 3-1 with four minutes left in the first quarter.
- Sophomore Gabriel Bonessi (Milford, Conn.) cut the deficit to 3-2 with two minutes left, and Tattan tied the game with a man-up goal 42 seconds later.
- Wentworth scored in the final minute of the first quarter to take a 4-3 lead into the second.
- Action went back and forth in the second, but both goalies were stingy. Wentworth scored the only goal of the frame with 1:42 left to carry a 5-3 lead into halftime.
- The Leopards scored the first three goals of the third quarter to extend the margin to 8-3, but Richards converted a man-up opportunity and added an even-strength goal 90 seconds later to make it 8-5 entering the fourth quarter.
- Wentworth tallied back-to-back goals late in the fourth to seemingly put the game out of reach.
- Plymouth State attempted a late rally, as Renner and Richards scored just 10 seconds apart to pull within 10-7, but that was as close as the Panthers would get.
By the Numbers:
- Schena's 22 saves were a career high, surpassing his previous mark of 21 set in last season's opener.
- Richards finished with three goals, while Renner scored twice and posted a team-high five ground balls.
- Junior Cameron Leeds (Derry, N.H.) recorded four ground balls and three caused turnovers, while classmate Ryan Lally (Chelmsford, Mass.) collected four ground balls and added two caused turnovers.
- Junior Connor Sweeney (Wilton, Conn.) chipped in three ground balls and three caused turnovers.
- Wentworth held a 32-17 advantage in shots and a 37-31 edge in ground balls.
- PSU went 2-for-2 on extra man opportunities while limiting the Leopards to 0-for-3.
- The Panthers won 14 of 21 faceoffs.
- Plymouth State leads the all-time series, 4-3, though Wentworth has won each of the last three meetings.
Up Next:
- The Panthers remain home to face Johnson & Wales on Saturday (Mar. 21) at 1 p.m.
– 30 –
