MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME MEN’S LACROSSE

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

FINAL:              UMASS DARTMOUTH 13, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 11

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Senior Steve Merrick (Methuen, Mass.) netted four goals and an assist for five points as UMass Dartmouth held off a late rally to post a 13-11 non-league college men’s lacrosse victory over Massachusetts Maritime Wednesday evening at Clean Harbors Stadium.

Merrick tallied twice in a 2:56 span early in the second quarter to snap a 2-2 tie and give the visiting Corsairs (4-7) a 4-2 advantage, and after junior Steven Anderson (Crownsville, Md.) sliced the host Buccaneers’ (5-7) deficit to one midway through the frame, goals by Merrimack and senior Tyler Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) in the final 6:57 of the half staked UMass Dartmouth to a 6-3 edge at the break.  The visitors scored four of the first five markers after intermission and took a 10-4 lead on Merrick’s man-up goal with 3:41 to play in the third quarter, and after Massachusetts Maritime closed back to within four on tallies by seniors Reed McLean (Wilbraham, Mass.) and Anthony Kurylak (Exeter, N.H.) in a 33 second span, the Corsairs extended their advantage with three unanswered goals in a 3:43 span to take a 13-6 edge on freshman Jimmy Hirtle’s (Tewksbury, Mass.) tally with 11:25 remaining.  The hosts rallied furiously with five straight tallies in a 7:19 span that featured a natural hat trick by freshman Ted Powers (Marshfield, Mass.), as the Buccaneers crept to within two on junior Joseph Landy’s (Chatham, N.J.) goal with 1:16 to play but were unable to close the gap in the final 76 seconds of action.

Prentice netted a hat trick in the triumph for UMass Dartmouth, which also received a pair of goals and an assist each from Hirtle and senior Bo Prozinski (Ashland, Mass.).  Junior Sean Peters (Medway, Mass.) chipped in with a marker and helper for the Corsairs, who also received a tally from sophomore Justin Torres (New Bedford, Mass.).  Sophomore DJ Miller (Ashland, Mass.) notched two assists in the win for the visitors, who also received single helpers off the sticks of seniors Alex Lucas (Brookfield, Mass.) and Andrew Johnson (Hopkinton, Mass.)

Powers finished with four goals and two assists in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received a pair of tallies from McLean as well as a marker and three helpers off the stick of freshman Cody Livermore (Ludlow, Mass.).  Kurylak chipped in with a goal and two assists for the Buccaneers, who also received a goal from freshman Zack O’Brien (Lakeville, Mass.) and a helper from sophomore Keaghan Bartley (Richmond, Va.).

Junior Matt Lafond (Bridgewater, Mass.) picked up the win in goal for UMass Dartmouth with a 16-save effort, while senior James Klose (Ellicott City, Md.) made 13 stops in the setback for Massachusetts Maritime as the Buccaneers outshot the Corsairs by a 38-35 margin for the contest.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Babson in a New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference outing on Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium beginning at 1:00 p.m., while UMass Dartmouth travels to Willimantic, Conn. on Saturday afternoon to take on Eastern Connecticut in a Little East Conference clash that also begins at 1:00 p.m.