MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME MEN’S LACROSSE

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

FINAL:              MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 10, ANNA MARIA 9

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Freshman Benjamin Avakian (Bourne, Mass.) netted a career-high six goals, including the game-winner with 5:08 remaining, to lift Massachusetts Maritime to a 10-9 non-league college men’s lacrosse victory over Anna Maria Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium.

The host Buccaneers, who are off to their second 4-0 start in the last three seasons, jumped out to a 3-1 advantage midway through the first quarter before the visiting Amcats (2-4) forged a 4-4 tie on freshman Brandon Pavoni’s (Granby, Mass.) goal with eight seconds to play in the opening stanza.  The teams traded scores early in the second quarter before Avakian gave Massachusetts Maritime a 6-5 edge at the break with a tally that came eight seconds before intermission, and the Buccaneers collected three of the four third quarter markers (two by Avakian) to take a 9-6 lead into the last 15 minutes of play.  Anna Maria quickly evened matters with three goals in the opening 3:12 of the final frame, as Pavoni’s third tally of the day created a 9-9 deadlock with just under 12 minutes remaining, and that score held up for the next six-plus minutes until Avakian converted a feed from sophomore Cody Livermore (Ludlow, Mass.) on the game-winner for the hosts, who held possession for most of the final four minutes of action and survived a last-second Amcat game-tying attempt as time expired.

Livermore finished with a goal and four assists for five points in the triumph for Massachusetts Maritime, which also received a marker and three helpers from junior Keaghan Bartley (Richmond, Va.).  Sophomore Zack O’Brien (Lakeville, Mass.) chipped in with a pair of tallies for the Buccaneers, while sophomore Jake O’Riordan (Marshfield, Mass.) added two assists for the winners.  Pavoni notched a hat trick and two assists to finish with five points in the setback for Anna Maria, which also received a hat trick from freshman Kurt Richardson (Narragansett, R.I.).  Freshman John Bartose (Salem, N.H.) netted a pair of goals as well for the Amcats, who received a marker and a helper off the stick of freshman Kyle Benning (Puyallup, Wash.).

Sophomore Michael Dolan (McLean, Va.) earned his fourth win of the season with a five-save effort in goal for Massachusetts Maritime, while sophomore Paul Schwarz (Staten Island, N.Y.) made 18 stops (nine in each half) in the setback for Anna Maria.  The Buccaneers outshot the Amcats by a 45-25 margin overall (28-14 on goal) and held a 16-7 edge in faceoffs for the contest.

Massachusetts Maritime heads to Salem, Mass. on Tuesday evening to take on Salem State in a non-league match that begins at 7:00 p.m., while Anna Maria will be idle until Thursday, March 30^th when the Amcats host Curry in a non-league outing in Paxton, Mass. beginning at 5:00 p.m.

(Photo Credit:  Justin Reidy)