Box Score
Springfield, Mass. - February 22, 2012 - Senior midfielder Shane Ferguson tallied four goals and added an assist to lead the Springfield College men's lacrosse team to a 13-10 win over visiting Gordon College in its season-opener on Wednesday afternoon on Stagg Field.
The Pride is now 1-0 and have won three-straight season openers over the Fighting Scots, who fell to 0-1.
Ferguson led the way with four goals, an assist, to go along with nine ground balls. Both Mike Delia and Ryon Lynch had a goal and three helpers, while Parker Geane netted a hat trick in the victory. Connor Nash finished the afternoon with 13 saves, and Tim Cimini anchored the defense with six caused turnovers.
For the visitors, Adam Quinn (Sr./Gloucester, Mass.) posted a team-best four goals, while Wes Chittick (Sr./Glenside, Pa.) recorded two goal and an assist. Dan Perednia (Sr./Granby, Conn.) chipped in a goal and two helpers, while Ian Knechtle (So./New Canaan, Conn.) added a team-best seven ground balls and four caused turnovers. Houston Zemanski (Jr./Annapolis, Md.) was charged with the loss despite making 10 saves between the pipes.
It was a back-and-forth affair in which no team led by more than three goals the entire contest. The Pride held a slight 41-34 advantage in shots, but the telling stat of the game was Springfield's dominance at the face-off "X". The Pride finished the day 19-of-26, including a 12-for-14 showing in the first half. Branden Fernandez had a great outing, going 13-for-15 while picking up nine ground balls.
Springfield wasted little time scoring the game’s first goal as Eric Balslov connected with Geane for the Pride’s first goal of the season just 49 seconds into the contest. The hosts added to their leave at the 11:24 mark thanks to a great ride from Lynch. After Lynch caused a turnover, Ryan Murphy scooped up the ground ball and found Geane on the doorstep for another Springfield tally.
The Fighting Scots answered back with three unanswered goals to earn a 3-2 lead after the first quarter. Mio Sison (Fr./Warren, Mich.) started the run after he slipped home a bounce shot with 9:28 to play. Chittick evened things at two-all just over a minute later after he dodged to his right and bounced home a shot from 10 yards out. Gordon’s third-straight tally came from Perednia as he stung the top corner from 12 yards with 47 seconds left.
Springfield controlled the second quarter from the start as it pumped in four-straight tallies in the opening 4:12 to take a 6-3 advantage. Lynch, Geane, Delia, and Ferugson all scored in the stretch for the hosts.
Quinn sandwich two goals between another Ferguson marker in the final eight minutes of the second quarter as Springfield went into the half up 7-5. Quinn started the scoring after bulling his way to the cage at 8:03 before Ferguson ripped a shot off another great look from Delia with 4:32 left. Quinn closed out the first half scoring on a man-up goal which he blistered into the back of the net with 2:28 left.
Springfield used Sean Doolady’s first career goal with 6:30 on the clock in the third to regain a three-goal cushion. However, the Fighting Scots would not go away, as they answered back 40 seconds later on a Jordan Heckelmann (Fr./Colorado Springs, Colo.) strike. Balslov converted a quick-stick shot after a gorgeous feed from Lynch at 3:12, only to have Knechtle score his his longpole 10 seconds later. Ferguson closed out the quarter with another important goal, this one coming on the run from 15 yards out.
The teams combined for six goals in the final 15 minutes of play as Gordon with get within two on three occasions. After Ferguson ripped a shot past Zemanski's hip with 7:30 remaining to make it 12-9, Quinn registered his final goal on a terrific individual effort. Following a sensational save by Nash, Quinn intercepted Nash's quick outlet pass on the crease and jammed the ball back into the net to make it a two-goal game with 5:41 remaining. Springfield's man-up unit put the game out of reach as Delia found Dylan Sheehanfor his first collegiate goal wat the 2:44 mark as Springfield held on for the win.
The Scots return to the field on Saturday, February 25 as they host Eastern Connecticut State University in a non-conference tilt at 2:00p.m.
Release courtesy of Springfield sports information.
