Syracuse, N.Y. – Graduate student goalkeeper Matt Vavonese (Syracuse, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy/Canisius) registered seven saves in the fourth quarter as the top-ranked Le Moyne College men's lacrosse team held off 18th-ranked Bentley University for a 12-10 victory in Northeast-10 Conference action on Tuesday afternoon at Ted Grant Field.

Le Moyne opened the game's scoring with the first two goals. Following three empty possessions by each team to start the game, junior attackman Joey Pezzimenti (Victor, N.Y./Victor/UAlbany) netted his 20th goal of the season at the 9:36 mark off a feed from graduate student attackman Kevin Sheehan (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee). Off the ensuing faceoff, fifth year faceoff specialist Nico Mattia (Queensbury, N.Y./Queensbury) scooped up the ball and raced up field to score his first career goal just seven seconds later.

The Falcons answered back with a pair of goals to knot the score at two. After causing a turnover and collecting the loose ball, Kyle Piersiak flipped a pass to Conor Segreti, who tallied his 15th goal of the year with 8:09 left in the opening quarter. Just 53 seconds later, Luke Jaber posted his 22nd goal of the season off a pass from Eric Makhatadze.

The Dolphins responded with three goals in a span of 53 seconds. Junior midfielder Seth Benedict (Stanley, N.Y./Marcus Whitman) started the run at the 5:32 mark with his 13th goal of the campaign. Sheehan followed 25 seconds later by finishing off a feed from Pezzimenti with a behind-the-back shot. The duo connected again 28 seconds later as Sheehan tallied his 10th goal of the year.

The teams traded goals in the second quarter. Following a pushing penalty on the Dolphins, Nathan Alviti scored in the extra-man situation at the 11:49 off a feed from Jaber. Pezzimenti pushed Le Moyne's lead back to three with 8:53 remaining in the half.

Jake Tyska won the ensuing faceoff and raced in to record his third goal of the season. Off a scramble for the loose ball on the next faceoff, Andrew Granzier picked up the ball and fed Jaber for his second goal of the day with 8:34 left.

Sheehan countered 1:22 later by finding the back of the net after collecting a feed from redshirt sophomore midfielder Ethan Loun (West Linn, Ore./West Linn). Just over 90 seconds later, the Dolphins took advantage of a holding penalty on the Falcons as junior midfielder Kyle Caves (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) netted his 20th goal of the year after receiving a pass from Benedict.

Alviti completed the scoring in the half with 4:07 remaining after scooping up a loose ball in front of the net.

Alviti started the scoring in the third quarter just one minute in after taking a pass from David Gagnon.

Le Moyne countered with the next two goals to regain its three-goal advantage. Following a penalty on Bentley, senior midfielder Griffin Ackley (Parkton, Md./Calvert Hall) tallied his sixth goal of the year from the left side with 13:03 left off a pass from Pezzimenti, who then scored 61 seconds later after collecting a pass from Sheehan.

Bentley followed with a two-goal spurt of its own. Will Adams scored with 2:15 left off a feed from Alviti and then Cam Bartolomeo won the ensuing faceoff and raced in to score his first goal of the season.

The Dolphins closed out the quarter with two goals in the last 90 seconds. Pezzimenti tallied his 23rd goal of the year with 1:28 remaining. Following a failed clear attempt by the Falcons with eight seconds left, Benedict sent a pass to sophomore attackman Isaac Frechette (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius), who fired a shot into the back of the net with 1.4 seconds left for his 12th goal of the season.

Off the opening faceoff of the fourth quarter, Jaber collected the loose ball off a scramble and tossed a pass behind his back to long-stick Alex Parton, who fired in his first goal of the season at the 14:49 mark.

The teams went up and down the field the remainder of the quarter, but the goalies kept the teams off the scoreboard as they combined for 12 saves.

Vavonese finished the game with a season-high 16 saves to earn his 10th victory between the pipes. Jackson Tinsley registered 12 saves, including five in the fourth quarter, in the loss.

Le Moyne (10-0, 6-0 NE10), which has won 28 straight meetings with the Falcons and improved to 31-1 all-time, is back in action on Friday at American International College at 2:00 p.m. (time changed on 4/12/23).