Men's Lacrosse drops two straight as playoffs loom

Stonehill Shows Heart in 11-10 Loss to Wildcats

With a conference record of 3-2, Stonehill’s matchup against Division I opponent, University of New Hampshire, would serve well in preparing the team for their remaining division games.  Stonehill matched UNH’s first two goals, with two from midfielder Conor Green to make the score 2-2.  The second period was very much the same as the teams went back and forth, and when attackman Colin Lancey equalized with a shot to the upper left corner of the goal with just one minute remaining in the second, the teams headed to the half tied at  5-5.
            The third quarter saw UNH come out firing, as they bombarded freshman goalkeeper Mike Phillips with 19 total shots.  Phillips was able to stop all but one of the shots, in what was arguably the goalkeeper’s best quarter of the year.  Unable to score any goals of their own, Stonehill trailed by just one  goal entering the fourth period of play thanks to the efforts of their defense and goalkeeping.  In the fourth, UNH got on the board first again, but Stonehill rallied to take back the lead by one goal.  With one minute left to play, UNH put together an excellent offensive sequence to tie the game and send the game into overtime, despite Stonehill having scoring five times in the fourth quarter.  In overtime, both teams were playing very evenly and had four shots respectively, but UNH’s fifth turned out to be the game winner as they went on to beat Stonehill 11-10.  The heartbreaking loss was the second game in a row that Hill had lost by a one point margin.
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WPI Outlasts Stonehill to Earn Division Win

Stonehill’s last game in their division was against WPI, who were looking to cap off a three game unbeaten streak against conference opponents.  Knowing a win could earn them third place in the division, Stonehill was also in search of a win in their last game of the season.  Stonehill got just the start they were looking for, scoring three times in the first quarter and holding WPI to just one goal.  Their offensive brilliance (9 shots to 3 shots) allowed them some breathing room heading into the second period.  A slow start in the second allowed WPI to tie the game at three goals apiece, and then eventually gain the lead, after several defensive miscues from the Stonehill defense.  The complete flip-flop of scoring in the second quarter saw WPI take the lead into halftime at 6-5.
            Dan Cermack tried to spark Hill back into the lead with an early third quarter goal, but WPI were able to score four times to Stonehill’s one.  At 10-6, a fourth quarter run was imperative if Hill wanted to get back into the game.  However, WPI’s resolute defense and continued offense saw them finish strong with a 14-9 victory.  In the end, WPI’s possession of the ball and calculated attacks to goal made the difference in the game, as Stonehill finished a disappointing 3-3 in the division.  With the playoffs ahead, Stonehill will look to bring the experience they’ve gained this season to propel them to future success.