Seahawks erase early deficit to beat Scots

WENHAM, Mass.--A fast start was not enough for Gordon to hold off the Seahawks of Salve Regina in Commonwealth Coast Conference men's lacrosse action on Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Scots scored twice in the opening minutes, but Salve was able to hold them in check in the second half to pull away with the 10-6 win.

The victory sends Salve Regina to an overall record of 7-4 and 1-1 in the CCC. Gordon drops its fourth consecutive game and now sits at 3-6. The Scots are 0-3 in league play.

Senior Thor Rasmussen (Fairfax, Va.) got the Scots on the board nice and early with a rip-roaring take in the first minute. Junior captain Nico Manganiello (Peabody, Mass.) made it a two to nothing game by finishing off a great entry pass from Austin Early (Palmyra, Va.) just two minutes later.

However, Gordon's offense was hampered by ball control for the rest of the first half. Salve Regina went on a 4-0 run between the eight-minute marks of the first and second quarters. Four difference Seahawks scored during the run with it being capped off by leading scorer Andrew Fera (Cranston, R.I.).

Nick Palandjian (Belmont, Mass.) and Rasmussen answered the call with two goals in 30 seconds of action to knot the game back at four, only for Salve to score directly off the impending face off. The Seahawks took the 5-4 lead into the break.

Fera put the Seahawks in prime position with two more goals in the early stages of the second half, as part of another 4-0 run dating back to Mike Mongelli's (Roslyn, N.Y.) go-ahead at the end of the first half. The three quick strikes in the third doubled up the Scots 8-4 with 8:32 to go in the period.

Manganiello scores his second of the game to close it to an 8-5 contest with 15 minutes remaining.

Dan Arthur (Manorville, N.Y.) gave the Scots a glimmer of hope in the comeback effort with a one-time off a threaded pass from Mangiello, making it a two-goal deficit with nine to play.

However, Salve locked the Scots down for the remainder, while adding two goals in the final minutes to turn it into a 10-6 final.

Fera had a game-high six ground balls to go with his hat trick. Nick Lo Cicero (Lynbrook, N.Y.) was the top point getter with one goal and three assists. Matt D'Amore (Duxbury, Mass.) made 10 saves to earn his seventh win of the year in net.

Gordon's Scott Conte (Newbury, Mass.) was credited with the loss despite seven stops.

The Fighting Scots will look to get back on track with a trip to Wentworth on Wednesday while the Seahawks host Roger Williams for the Quahog Cup at 4 p.m.