Men’s Lacrosse: Rangers Track Down Double-OT Win
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Freshman attack Stelios Wilson tied the game 9-9 with his third goal of the game at 0:44 remaining in regulatione, but Gil Arbitsman scored with 0:54 left in the second overtime period to give the visiting Drew Rangers a 10-9 non-conference victory over Swarthmore.
Drew (4-6) got off to a quick start, scoring a pair of goals in the fifth minute of play to take a 2-0 lead. Freshman midfielder Will Predun answered for the Garnet (3-6), though, depositing a Matt Perez '06 feed into the back of the net. Swarthmore controlled the ensuing faceoff, and Perez once again made the correct pass, hitting freshman midfielder Todd Friedman, who scored with 8:42 to play in the first quarter to tie the score.
Rangers Dan Moffo and Cory Helly scored late in the first period to give Drew a 4-2 lead.
The teams nearly battled to a draw in the second quarter, as only Wilson's first goal of the game with 6:50 remaining prevented a scoreless period. Garnet midfielder Will Predun '09 picked up the assist.
Moffo grabbed his second goal of the game with three minutes gone by in the third quarter to extend Drew's lead back to two, but the Garnet once again rallied to tie. Junior Gavin Nurick tickled the twine with 8:35 left in the period, and Perez fed Wilson for the equalizer just under five minutes later.
Tom Stitt re-took the lead for the Rangers with his second goal two minutes later, but Swarthmore stormed down the field and Wilson, on the giving end this time, got the ball to Friedman in time for the latter's second goal which, like the first, came only 20 seconds after the previous faceoff.
Swarthmore finally took the lead 22 seconds into the fourth quarter when junior Ryan McKenna fed classmate Jay Charles for a pretty goal. The lead was short-lived, though, as Moffo completed the hat trick just as a penalty was called on Garnet sophomore defender Drew Bonessa and Drew's Gil Arbitsman scored for the visitors on the ensuing power play. Nearly seven minutes passed before Robert Budziszewski extended the Drew lead back to two once again.
One more time, though, Swarthmore had the answer. Charles quickly gained control of the face off, found a small opening, and unleashed a low lefthanded shot that somehow got past Drew goaltender Michael Celantano.
Drew tried to run out the clock, but finally turned the ball over, and Charles found Wilson in traffic on the left wing, where the freshman fired the ball past Celantano to force overtime.
The Rangers controlled play through nearly all of the first overtime, but Garnet netminder Frank Mazzucco '08 made three big saves to preserve the deadlock.
Play went back and forth in the second overtime until the Rangers gained control of the ball, marched downfield, and got the ball to Arbitsman, who shot the game-winner past Mazzucco.
Wilson's hat trick is the first of his career. He now has 11 goals on the season, second on the team to Charles (12 goals).
Charles and Friedman each added a pair of goals, while Perez finished with three assists. Moffo's three goals led the Rangers; Arbitsman and Tom Stitt each notched a pair.
Charles finished with eight ground balls, which would have been the new high point for the Garnet on the season if not for junior defender Anthony Orazio, who scooped up 10. Orazio also caused six Ranger turnovers.
Mazzucco finished with a season-high 13 saves, beating his previous high, recorded at Goucher in another overtime contest, by one.Celentano stopped 15 shots for Drew.
Swarthmore returns to Centennial Conference play this Saturday, April 15. One of the conference's four ranked teams, #14 Dickinson, comes to town for a 1:00 p.m. contest.