Corcoran's First Career Hat Trick Highlights #3 Men's Lacrosse's 16-9 Win vs. #12 Dowling
Links: Box Score
RIDGEFIELD, Conn. – In a matchup of two top-12 teams, the No. 3 Merrimack College men's lacrosse team picked up its seventh straight victory after dispatching 12th-ranked Dowling College, 16-9, on Thursday night at Tiger Hollow Stadium at Ridgefield (Conn.) High School.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 16, Dowling 9
Records: #3 Merrimack (12-1) | #12 Dowling (9-4)
Location: Tiger Hollow Stadium | Ridgefield, Conn.
How It Happened
Looking for its fifth win against an opponent either nationally ranked or receiving votes in the national polls, Merrimack welcomed Dowling to Tiger Hollow Stadium at Ridgefield High School in western Connecticut aiming for a seventh consecutive victory in its non-conference finale.
Despite the long bus ride, the Warriors showed no signs of road-weariness and scored the game's first four goals to grab a 4-0 lead early through the first quarter, as four different Warriors found the back of the net in that span.
Dowling interrupted that stretch and got on the board with 6:57 left in the period, but back-to-back tallies from senior captain and longstick midfielder Scott Corcoran (Haverhill, Mass.) pushed the Navy and Gold in front by a 6-1 margin heading to the second quarter.
Corcoran recorded his first career hat trick with 12:22 left in the half to highlight a three-goal second quarter, while defensively, the Warriors continued to dominate and allowed just one goal for the second straight quarter to take a 9-2 lead into halftime.
Things opened up a bit in the second half, but Merrimack went toe-to-toe with the Golden Lions as far as the offense was concerned. Three different Warriors scored in the third quarter, which saw Merrimack's lead trimmed to five (12-7) at the conclusion of it.
Dowling got to within four goals early in the final quarter, but Merrimack squashed any hopes of a comeback by recording four straight tallies before the final horn sounded.
Notes and Numbers
- After posting his first-ever two-goal game earlier this month, Corcoran – known widely for his incredible abilities on the defensive end of the field – recorded his first-ever hat trick in Thursday's victory while also sharing the team lead with five ground balls
- Senior Ryan Poirier (Warwick, R.I.) and junior Jack Trask (Colorado Springs, Colo.) shared the overall game lead in scoring with four points apiece (2g, 2a), while freshman Michael O'Connell (Sudbury, Mass.) had Merrimack's only other hat trick
- Dowling's Josh Shaw led all players with six points, finishing with four goals and two helpers
- Senior captain Tom McLaughlin (Billerica, Mass.) caused a game-high three turnovers, while sophomore Blake Boudreau (Amherst, N.H.) saw his first action since April 9 and didn't miss a beat, winning 8-of-10 faceoffs (80.0%) before giving way to junior Danny Loprete (Watertown, Mss.), who won 15-of-19 (78.9%) draws
- EMO: Merrimack (3-5) // DOW (1-3)
- SOG: Merrimack – 32 // DOW – 15
- Ground Balls: Merrimack – 34 // DOW – 10
- Clears: Merrimack (16-for-17) // DOW (17-for-25)
Up Next
Merrimack rounds out the regular season on Saturday (April 30) when it welcomes Saint Anselm to town for a 1 p.m. showdown. Prior to the game, the Warriors will honor their 12 members of the Class of 2016 as part of Senior Day.
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