MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME MEN’S LACROSSE

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Clean Harbors Stadium, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

FINAL:              MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 10, NORWICH 9 (OVERTIME)

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Sophomore Cody Livermore (Ludlow, Mass.) scored the golden goal with 34 seconds remaining in overtime as Massachusetts Maritime overcame a four-goal fourth quarter deficit to notch a 10-9 non-league college men’s lacrosse victory over Norwich Thursday evening at Clean Harbors Stadium.

The host Buccaneers (3-0) trailed 8-4 with 7:30 remaining in regulation after the visiting Cadets (0-3) had snapped a 4-4 third quarter deadlock with four unanswered goals, as markers by sophomore Ben Barattini (Osterville, Mass.) and freshman Franklin Ragge (Scituate, Mass.) sparked Massachusetts Maritime’s four goal run that was capped by a pair of tallies off the stick of senior Ryan McNeill (Burlington, Mass.), the second which evened matters at 8-8 with 1:40 to play.  Norwich regained a 9-8 edge with 42 seconds remaining on sophomore Cody Moore’s (Canton, N.Y.) unassisted marker, but Livermore responded with 12 seconds to play on a McNeill feed to force the extra session.  Both teams had chances on their first two possessions of the overtime period before Livermore rifled the deciding tally from 15 yards out to give the hosts their triumph.

The Cadets took a 2-0 first quarter lead on a pair of goals off the stick of junior Michael Cashman (East Kingston, N.H.), but the Buccaneers evened matters in the second stanza on tallies by McNeill and Livermore to forge a 2-2 draw at the break.  The two squads traded two scores each over the opening 12 minutes after intermission before Norwich went on its four-goal run to take the fourth quarter lead, setting up the frantic finish and comeback over the last 11 minutes of action.

Livermore finished with four goals on the evening for Massachusetts Maritime, which received a hat trick and an assist from McNeill along with two tallies and a helper from Barattini.  Senior Marshall McCarthy (Duxbury, Mass.), sophomore Ted Powers (Marshfield, Mass.) and freshman Benjamin Avakian (Bourne, Mass.) collected assists as well for the Buccaneers, who are off to their best start in two years.  Cashman collected a hat trick and an assist in the setback for Norwich, while junior Josh Jenkins (Centennial, Colo.) added a pair of tallies for the visitors.  Moore, along with juniors Nolan Aurelia (Stratford, Conn.) and Ian Kennedy (Gloucester, Mass.), notched a goal and assist each for the Cadets, who also received a marker from junior Matt Shea (Arlington, Mass.) as well as single helpers off the sticks of sophomore Aidan Moulton (Danvers, Mass.) and freshman Connor Bourque (Goffstown, N.H.).

Sophomore Michael Dolan (McLean, Va.) picked up his third win of the season with a 10-save effort in goal for Massachusetts Maritime, while sophomore Ian Kriger (Burlington, Mass.) also made 10 stops in the setback for Norwich.  The Buccaneers outshot the Cadets by a 40-31 margin overall (20-19 on goal) and held a 13-10 edge in faceoffs (including seven in the fourth quarter alone) for the contest.

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Anna Maria in a non-league outing on Saturday afternoon at Clean Harbors Stadium beginning at 4:00 p.m., while Norwich heads to New London, Conn. on Saturday afternoon to take on Coast Guard in a non-league match that begins at 1:00 p.m.