BUZZARDS BAY, MA -- Men's lacrosse hosted Norwich University on Wednesday evening in an annual matchup that always proves to be a close, physical matchup between the two teams. Added into the mix in this matchup was a snow covered Clean Harbors Stadium that had to be shoveled pregame by a host of coaches, student-athletes and others from the Academy so that the two teams could play. What followed the shoveling was 60 minutes of hard play among the Bucs and Cadets that ended 10-9 to Norwich between the snowflakes.

The Basics

Final: Cadets 10, Buccaneers 9

Records: Norwich (3-0)

             Maritime (0-3)

Between The Pipes

Norwich: Thomas Kelliher (W, 1-0): 9 GA | 60 Min | 11 Sv | 20 SH

Maritime: Viktor Wright (L, 0-2): 10 GA | 60 Min | 5 Sv | 15 SH

In The Field

Maritime

• Mitchell Maida, Gage Coolahan, and Senior Captain Spencer Jones each scored twice in the game.
• Jack Iversen, Nick Lamattina, and Braeden Kosiewicz all got on the scoresheet as well.
• Maida was credited with three assists in the game with Jones tallying two.
• Faceoff man Brian Rosher picked up a game-high 11 ground balls and won 19 of 23 faceoffs for the Bucs.
• Junior captain Leo Allgaier caused a game-high four turnovers in the loss.
• All together, the Bucs picked up 51 ground balls, took 41 shots, were successful on 18 of 24 clears, and spent two minutes in the sin bin for three penalties.

Norwich

• Matt Meehan and Payden Masaracchia each scored three goals for the Cadets.
• Jake Andrews-Pestana added two goals and Jack Haley and Jack Anzalone each scored once.
• Parker Campbell led the game in assists with a total of six. Andrew Garrison also had two helpers in the win.
• Mason McMahon picked up a team-high six ground balls.
• The Cadets caused a total of 10 turnovers, picked up 41 ground balls, converted 26 of 34 clear attempts, took 35 shots and spent eight minutes in the penalty box with nine penalties.

How It Happened

After the snow was clear from the field and the Norwich bus made it through the snow storm on their way down from Vermont, the Bucs and Cadets started the game a few minutes behind schedule in front of a great crowd, considering the weather. It took nearly seven minutes for either team to get on the board and the Cadets were the ones to break the scoreless tie on an Andrews-Pestana goal from Garrison. Just over a minute later, Maida tied the game in a man-up opportunity. The teams traded goals once again later in the quarter with another from Andrews-Pestana and a Jones goal for the Bucs from Maida. The teams went to the second quarter tied at two apiece.

In the second it was almost all Norwich as they opened the quarter with a goal just a minute in from Meehan to take a 3-2 advantage. Maritime was able to tie the game again five minutes later on Jones's second of the night. In the final eight minutes of the first half Norwich scored three more times. Two from Masaracchie and one from Meehan to put the Vermonters up 6-3. That same 6-3 score took the teams to the half time break.

With the snow coming down as hard as it had all night, the teams started the third quarter. Maritime opened the scoring early on a Kosiewicz goal under a minute into the second half. The Bucs went on a three-goal run of their own on Coolahan and Lamattina scores to tie the game with 3:33 left in the third. Norwich would take the lead back with six second left in the quarter on Haley's unassisted goal which seemed like a pass that found its way into the net. Norwich led 7-6 after three.

The Bucs scored the first three goals of the fourth, as they had done in the third, to tie the game and take their first lead of the night. Maide scored the game-tying goal with 11:21 left. Coolahan scored the go-ahead, unassisted, with just under nine minutes to play and Iversen added some insurance with just under eight minute to play in regulation. The Buccaneer defense held strong for three minutes and couldn't net another through a man-up opportunity. With five minutes left the Cadets got one back from Anzalone to make it 9-8. A minute later they would tie the game once again on Meehan's third. With overtime looming, Masaracchia came down field and found space around Wright to give his team the lead with 33 seconds remaining. Norwich went on to seal the snowy victory, 10-9, over the Bucs.

What's Next

The Buccaneers will travel to Maine Maritime on Sunday, March 13th for a 2pm faceoff against the Mariners.