Seahawks shutout in second-half; fall 9-4 to Nor'easters
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Salve Regina (4-6, 2-4 CCC) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
|
U. of New England (7-7, 2-3 CCC) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- David Pearson stopped all 10 shots that came his direction in the final 30 minutes as the University of New England increased a one-goal edge into a 9-4 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) men's lacrosse victory over Salve Regina University on Saturday afternoon (Apr. 11) at the Big Blue Turf.
The Nor'easters (7-7, 2-3 CCC) jump past the Seahawks (4-6, 2-4 CCC) in the league standings with the decision.
UNE led 2-0 after just five minutes in the 1st quarter, but behind a goal by Nick LoCicero (Lynbrook, N.Y.), Salve only trailed by one at the end of the frame.
The Seahawks found the back of the cage twice in the early stages of the 2nd before David Rubenstein tied it up (3-3) for the hosts, only to see Locicero slip the visitors back in front with 3:44 left until intermission.
However, Big Blue struck twice in the final 47 seconds of the stanza to swing the advantage back in its favor (5-4). More than half (3) of the Nor'easters goals in the half came on man-up plays.
UNE out-shot the Seahawks, 12-2, in the 3rd and tallied the only two goals, courtesy of Shamus Higginbottom and Rubenstein, to extend the gap to three.
The spread held on 7-4 for more than 22 minutes, as Pearson turned away nine SRU shots to preserve the lead. Higginbottom and Rubenstein both added their third scores of the game late in the 4th to cap things.
Rubenstein and Dan Auger combined for five assists to support the UNE attack. Steven Hughes helped guide the defensive efforts with a team-high five ground balls and match-best five caused turnovers. John Dusel made four saves during the opening 30 minutes of action.
Zach Makoske (Shoreham, N.Y.) and Alex Hennessy (West Babylon, N.Y.) scooped up five ground balls each for Salve Regina. Makoske also had a goal and an assist. Andrew Watkins (Natick, Mass.) posted 13 stops in net.
The Nor'easters are slated to visit Curry College (1-4 CCC) on Tuesday. The Seahawks host Wentworth Institute of Technology (3-3 CCC) the same evening.