March 21, 2009

MLAX: DEFENSIVE EFFORT PROPELS NO. 2 LE MOYNE PAST NO. 3 C.W. POST, 6-5

Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne College men's lacrosse team, ranked No. 2 in the latest USILA Division II Lacrosse Poll, edged No. 3 C.W. Post, 6-5, in non-conference action Saturday evening at the Carrier Dome. Senior goalkeeper Doug McIver (Altamont, N.Y./Albany Academy) collected eight saves between the pipes and Le Moyne's defensive unit surrendered only one first-half goal.

C.W. Post netted a pair of goals in the first minute of fourth quarter action to knot the game at 4-4. But after six-plus minutes of scoreless action, sophomore Jack Harmatuk (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/Syracuse) struck for the go-ahead goal at the 7:52 mark. Just over a minute later, classmate Matt Chadderdon (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) rocketed in a man-up goal on a feed from senior Brian Welch (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) to push the Dolphins ahead, 6-4. The Pioneers delivered the game's final score behind a Matt Dimler score with 1:20 to play before Chadderdon won a crucial face-off and Harmatuk ran out the last minute of action.

Following a win in the face-off X by senior Brian Griffin (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) to open the contest, Chadderdon scored the game's first goal 30 seconds in. Less than a minute later, at the 13:43 mark of the first quarter, Harmatuk put the Dolphins ahead, 2-0, with an unassisted tally. Following 16 minutes of scoreless action that stretched into the second quarter, senior Jack Mooney (Webster, N.Y./Webster Thomas) sent in his fourth goal of the season to give Le Moyne a three-goal advantage. Joe Meo scored C.W. Post's first goal, the team's only first-half score, on an assist from Dimler with 6:40 to play in the second quarter.

The Dolphins struck early after the halftime break, as Griffin took the opening face-off of the second half straight to the cage and put in his first goal of the season. But Dimler trimmed the Le Moyne lead to two, 4-2, with a Pioneer goal at the 9:32 mark of the third quarter. McIver recorded a pair of crucial saves down the stretch in the third quarter to preserve the 4-2 lead headed into the fourth quarter.

A defensive unit of sophomores Jikado Hanna (Hopkinton, Mass./Bridgton Academy) and Corey Bulken (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baldwinsville), juniors Drew Bezek (Lowville, N.Y./Lowville) and Paul Sullivan (Buffalo, N.Y./St. Francis) and seniors Marc Cizenski (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee), Matt Foster (Auburn, N.Y./Auburn) and Tim McLean (Troy, Mich./Detroit Jesuit) was stellar for Le Moyne, holding the nation's top scoring offense to a season-low five goals. The Pioneers came into the game averaging 18 goals per contest.

Le Moyne (4-0) knocked off a team ranked in the Top Ten of USILA Division II Poll for the fourth time this season. The Dolphins, who ran their win streak against the Pioneers (6-1) to seven games, return to action Wednesday when they travel to Pace for a Northeast-10 Conference game at 3:30 p.m.

-agate-

No. 2 Le Moyne 6, No. 3 C.W. Post 5
C.W. Post (6-1) 0 1 1 3 - 5
Le Moyne (4-0) 2 1 1 2 - 6

C.W. Post SCORING: Matt Dimler 2-1; Joe Meo 1-0; Dave Loftus 1-0; Mike Cama 1-0; Nick Lacagnina 0-1. GOALKEEPING: Daniel Sciulla (60:00, 6 GA, 13 saves).

Le Moyne SCORING: Matt Chadderdon 2-0; Jack Harmatuk 2-0; Jack Mooney 1-0;
Brian Griffin 1-0; Brian Welch 0-1. GOALKEEPING: Doug McIver (60:00, 5 GA, 8 saves).