MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME MEN’S LACROSSE                                                  

Monday, April 29, 2013                                                                                                     

Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.                                                         

FINAL:                   MIT 7, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 6

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Sophomore John Kramer’s (Glastonbury, Conn.) goal with 1:49 remaining lifted MIT to a 7-6 Pilgrim Lacrosse League victory over Massachusetts Maritime in the regular season finale for both schools Monday evening at Clean Harbors Stadium.

The visiting Engineers (5-9, 3-3 Pilgrim) clinched the fourth and final spot in the upcoming Pilgrim League playoffs with the triumph and will face top-seeded Springfield in semi-final round action on Wednesday evening at 7:00 p.m. in Springfield, Mass.  MIT raced out to a 4-0 first quarter lead on the strength of a pair of tallies off the stick of freshman Graham Francis (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.), but the host Buccaneers (5-10, 1-5 Pilgrim) used three markers in a 2:23 span early in the second stanza off the sticks of senior John Hojnoski (West Springfield, Mass.), sophomore Jack Forcier (Medford, Mass.) and freshman Anthony Kurylak (Rye, N.H.) to close back to within one at 4-3 at the break. 

Freshman Sean Staples (Norwell, Mass.) evened matters for Massachusetts Maritime midway through the third quarter, but freshman Luke Verdi (Middletown, Ind.) gave the Engineers the lead back with a man-up marker.  Hojnoski forged a 5-5 draw after three with his second goal of the night that came with 29 seconds remaining in the quarter, but MIT again took a one-goal edge on sophomore Bill Kelleher’s (Pittsburgh, Pa.) tally 1:17 into the final frame.  Staples converted his second of the night just 1:23 later to give the Buccaneers their final tie of the night at 6-6, setting the stage of Kramer’s late heroics, as the visitors were able to run out the clock and clinch the victory.

Verdi and freshman Paul Orrson (Baltimore, Md.) each netted a goal and an assist in the win for MIT, which also received a marker from senior Sean Burke (Centennial, Colo.).  Freshman Jonah Hessels (Poolesville, Md.) added two assists for the Engineers, who also received a helper off the stick of sophomore Jake Slonaker (West Windsor, N.J.).  Hojnoski and Staples each paced Massachusetts Maritime with their two goals, as sophomore Drew Prowse (Wakefield, Mass.) and freshman C.J. Hanson (Melrose, Mass.) each recorded an assist for the Buccaneers.

Senior Christopher Rullan (Wexford, Pa.) picked up the win in goal for MIT with a seven-save effort, while junior Paul Painten (Walpole, Mass.) made 17 stops in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime as the Engineers outshot the Buccaneers by a 31-28 margin while holding a 10-7 advantage in face-offs for the contest.

Tonight’s match was played in memory of fallen MIT Police Officer Sean Collier, who lost his life in the line of duty on April 18^th.  The Massachusetts Maritime Student-Athlete Advisory Committee raised $650 in donations to The Jimmy Fund that will be made in Officer Collier’s name on behalf of both schools.