WENHAM, Mass.—Gordon Men's Lacrosse overcame a slow start by scoring five goals in the fourth quarter to beat Salem State 8-6 at the Brigham Athletic Complex on Wednesday. Nick Palandjian (Belmont, Mass.) kept his high scoring alive with four goals and two assists to help Gordon break through a two-goal deficit in the final period.
The dry spell Gordon's offense suffered against Eastern Connecticut on Saturday continued well into Wednesday's contest. After Salem's Charlie Bourgeois (Billerica, Mass.) scored the game opener, Palandjian struck for two quick goals to give Gordon a 2-1 lead—not unlike the game on Saturday.
However, Gordon's offense went silent after the first five minutes of the opening period as the Vikings held them scoreless for the remainder of the half. Still, Gordon held a 2-1 advantage after one quarter.
Bourgeois became a one-man wrecking crew for the Vikings in the second quarter. The junior scored twice in three minutes off passes from Craig Denehy (Salem, Mass.) and William Brown (No. Reading, Mass.) to reclaim the lead for the visitors.
The Fighting Scots had ample opportunities to even the score or go on a run in the period, but couldn't capitalize in key moments. Gordon went 0-for-8 on extra-man chances in the first half and 0-for-12 for the game. Twice the Scots had two-man-up chances, but could not cash in for the equalizer.
A quiet offensive game overall continued into the third. Gordon's Nico Manganiello (Peabody, Mass.) scored the only goal of the period on a nice feed from Nick Tozier (Winston Salem, N.C.) to make it a 3-3 game entering the final 15 minutes of action.
Corey DaSilva (Townsend, Mass.) and Bourgeois put the Scots in their deepest hole of the game with two fast goals at the outset of the fourth. It was Bourgeois' fourth to that point.
Palandjian completed the hat trick on a solo mission with 8:29 to go and then assisted on a behind-the-back flick for Tozier just 45 seconds later to even the score in a flash.
Not to be outdone, Salem State's Bourgeois scored his fifth goal of the game with style on a reverse shot past the Gordon keeper.
The Vikings' lead would not last long though. The Fighting Scots won the impending faceoff and sophomore Mike Ritter (Falls Church, Va.) took the ball in himself from 35 yards out for his first collegiate goal, knotting the game at six.
In perhaps the biggest play of the game, Jason Dantona (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) rolled a ball across the face of the goal to a wide open Manganiello. The junior obliged with quick pickup and a finish to make it a 7-6 game with 3:16 to go.
Gordon's defense was able to hold firm over the next stretch, turning Salem State over a few times in that span. Palandjian added his fourth of the game once the game had already been decided in the closing seconds.
Gordon's big fourth quarter gave them an advantage in ground balls with 38 compared to 24 for the visitors. Most other team stats were even aside from face offs, where Gordon won 12 of 17 attempted.
Billy Biegun (Wappingers Falls, N.Y.) controlled the faceoff circle with 12 wins and 10 ground balls.
The Vikings will look to bounce back on Saturday when they head home to take on Saint Joseph's of Maine. Gordon (2-1) will go on the road for the first time in 2017 in search of revenge at Clark at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
