Men’s Lacrosse: Thoroughbreds Skid Past Garnet
SARATOGA SPRINGS, Ny. - Skidmore junior Chuck McNeil scored the game-winning goal off a feed from Tom Spinella with 1:48 remaining to give the Thoroughbreds a 7-6 win over visiting Swarthmore on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Skidmore (4-3) jumped out to a 4-1 lead after one period, with Garnet senior midfielder Matthew Perez getting Swarthmore (3-3) on the board with his seventh goal of the season.
The Garnet cut the deficit to 4-3 in the second period as freshmen Stelios Wilson and Will Predun put home unassisted goals. McNeil tallied his first of two goals on the day with 2:39 left in the period, giving Skidmore a 5-3 advantage at halftime.
Swarthmore midfielder Ryan McKenna '07 made the score 5-4 at 11:58 with his first goal of the season. Spinella then gave the Thoroughbreds a two-goal lead, 6-4, with 3:27 left in the third but Swarthmore's offense swung the momentum in favor of the Garnet. Sophomore midfielder Ivano Ventresca and Predun scored 13 seconds apart to even the contest at 6-6 heading into the fourth and final period.
The opposing goalies turned away a handful of offensive chances during a tense fourth period. McNeil finally broke through under the two minute mark to send Skidmore to its third consecutive victory.
Swarthmore held a 31-21 shot advantage and won 11 of the 17 faceoffs.
Garnet goalie Frank Mazzucco '08 made eight saves while his Skidmore counterpart, James de Gorter, registered 11 saves.
Swarthmore resumes its Centennial Conference schedule on Tuesday, April 6 when they travel north to take on Ursinus at 7:00 p.m.