Garnet Lax Falls in ECAC Championship
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Drew defeated host Swarthmore, 7-5, behind 14 saves from goalie Michael Celentano, winning the 2008 Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Division III Metro/South Region Men's Lacrosse Championship Sunday afternoon at Clothier Field
Celentano, a junior, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship after holding the Garnet (9-8) to just two scores in the second half, allowing the Rangers (11-7) to rally from a 3-1 halftime deficit.
Drew sophomore attackman Jon Bucknam led all scorers with three goals while classmate Greg Reading added two goals. Ranger defenseman Michael DeGiovanni scooped up a game-high seven ground balls and recorded an assist.
Swarthmore senior goalie Frank Mazzucco (Redding, Conn. / Joel Barlow) posted 13 saves while freshman defenseman Max Wilson (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) collected four ground balls and scored his first collegiate goal.
Trailing 3-1 at the intermission, Drew struck for four goals in the third period. Bucknam accounted for two of the scores, the latter coming just before the buzzer sounded to put the Rangers in the lead, 5-4.
Swarthmore junior midfielder Todd Friedman (Miami, Fla. / Miami-Palmetto) scored his 10th goal of the season at 11:13 in the fourth period to tie the score. Bucknam answered eight seconds later with the game-winner, his team-leading 46th goal of the season.
The Garnet held a 40-29 shot advantage with the ground-ball count about even (30-29 Swarthmore). Swarthmore also won nine of the 15 face-offs while neither team capitalized on two extra-man opportunities apiece.
Swarthmore also got goals from midfielder Ben Young '09 (Washington, D.C. / St. Alban's), attackman Gavin Musynske '10 (Floral Park, N.Y. / Floral Park) and sophomore Anthony Phalen (Needham, Mass. / Needham).
The Garnet concluded a successful 2008 season with their third appearance in the ECAC Championship game in the last eight years (all under current head coach Pat Gress) after posting a undefeated mark (7-0) during non-conference play in the regular season. The nine wins in the most in one season since 1985, when Swarthmore went 11-3 and won the Middle Atlantic Conference Championship.
2008 ECAC Division III Metro/South Regional Men’s Lacrosse Championship Results
Friday, May 9 – Semifinals
No. 1 Swarthmore 14, No. 4 Manhattanville 4 BOX SCORE
No. 2 Drew 13, No. 3 SUNY-Maritime 8
Sunday, May 11 – Championship
Drew 7, Swarthmore 5 BOX SCORE