#2 Le Moyne Tops #3 Men's Lacrosse in NE-10 Final
Links: Box Score // NCAA Tournament Selection Show (7:30 p.m.)
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – After both sides played to a 3-3 tie through halftime, the No. 3 Merrimack College men's lacrosse team was held to only three goals the rest of the way, as the Warriors fell, 8-6, to No. 2 Le Moyne College in the 2016 Northeast-10 Conference Championship Final on Sunday afternoon at Ted Grant Field.
The Basics
Score: Le Moyne 8, Merrimack 6
Records: #3 Merrimack (14-2) | #2 Le Moyne (17-0)
Location: Ted Grant Field | Syracuse, N.Y.
2016 NE-10 Men's Lacrosse Championship Schedule
Tuesday, May 3
First Round
Game 1: #4 Southern New Hampshire 15, #5 Pace 13
Game 2: #3 Adelphi 13, #6 Saint Anselm 7
Friday, May 6
Semifinals
Game 3: #1 Le Moyne 15, Southern New Hampshire 3
Game 4: #2 Merrimack 14, #3 Adelphi 13 (F/3OT)
Sunday, May 8
Championship Final (at Highest Remaining Seed)
Game 5: #1 Le Moyne 8, #2 Merrimack 6
How It Happened
Playing in the NE-10 Final for the 11th time in school history and looking for its third league championship and first since 2010, Merrimack met Le Moyne for the seventh time in the conference title game and first time since 2012 – which was a 10-7 win for the Dolphins.
Merrimack didn't waste any time at the game's onset, as sophomore Blake Boudreau (Amherst, N.H.) won the opening faceoff and senior Scott Corcoran (Haverhill, Mass.) picked up the loose ball, took it himself and scored 18 seconds in to give the Warriors a quick lead.
The first half proved to be a defensive battle between both sides, as sophomore Sam Ventresca (Woburn, Mass.) and Le Moyne's Ales Krawec stood their ground with a number of impressive saves.
The Dolphins got on the board with 4:06 left in the opening stanza to draw even, but junior Max Allen (West Caldwell, N.J.) roofed a laser to restore the lead for the visitors and give Merrimack a 2-1 advantage after the first quarter.
Le Moyne's Brian Rogers tied things up again early in the second quarter, but senior Ryan Poirier (Warwick, R.I.) answered with his first of the afternoon to give the Warriors another lead at 3-2. The remainder of the second half saw the Dolphins possess the bulk of the scoring chances, and Logan Thomas got the hosts even again with 4:33 to go in the half, and that score went unchanged heading into halftime.
The third quarter was the difference in the contest, as Le Moyne outscored Merrimack by a 4-1 margin to take a 7-4 lead. Allen netted his second early in the period to level the ledger at 4-4, but the Dolphins recorded the next three goals and were equally strong defensively to carry a three-goal edge into the final quarter.
Merrimack scored twice more in the fourth quarter, with Allen completing his hat trick bid and junior Jack Trask (Colorado Springs, Colo.) also finding the back of the net, but the Dolphins' defense wound up forcing 17 Merrimack turnovers – including nine in the second half – to pave the way for Le Moyne's first league tournament title since 2013 and conference-best 12th overall.
Notes and Numbers
- Allen's three goals accounted for Merrimack's only multi-goal or multi-point performance on the afternoon, while Thomas led all players with five goals
- Ventresca finished with eight saves overall, while Krawec made seven stops to preserve the win for the Warriors
- Allen and Ventresca were both named to the NE-10 All-Tournament Team, as well
- Corcoran led Merrimack with eight ground balls and a caused turnover and was one of the top players on both ends of the turf for both teams on Sunday
- EMO: Merrimack (1-1) // LEM (0-2)
- SOG: Merrimack – 13 // LEM – 16
- Ground Balls: Merrimack – 25 // LEM – 27
- Clears: Merrimack (12-for-16) // LEM (11-for-13)
Up Next
Despite Sunday's loss, the Warriors are a virtual lock to make their second straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Men's Lacrosse Tournament – and third in program history – when the bracket is revealed on Sunday night. The Selection Show will air exclusively online at www.NCAA.com/live and will begin at 7:30 p.m.
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