TOWSON, Md.—An early deficit turned out to be too big of a mountain to climb for The University of Scranton men's lacrosse team in a rematch of the 2011 Landmark Conference championship game against #13-ranked Goucher College Saturday afternoon.
The Royals shaved a six-goal Gopher lead down to one early in the fourth period before Goucher pulled away for a 13-8 victory.
The win was the 10th straight for the Gophers, who locked up the number one seed in the upcoming Landmark Conference tournament with a 5-0 league mark while improving to 13-1 overall. The loss drops Scranton to 8-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference with one league game remaining, next Saturday, April 28, against Catholic University at Fitzpatrick Field beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Senior attacker Daniel Slade (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) led the Royals with four goals, including two during a 5-0 rally that trimmed a 9-3 Gopher lead late in the second quarter down to 9-8 with 12:15 left in the fourth period. Scranton also received two goals and an assist from senior attacker Kyle Frank (Glen Arm, Md./Boys' Latin) and a goal apiece from junior midfielder Dillon McInerney (Hawthorne, NJ/Bergen Catholic) and freshman attacker Anthony Lombardo (Mendham, NJ/Mendham).
Senior midfielder Matt Lyncch (Ivyland, Pa./LaSalle College High School) scored three of his game-high six goals in the opening 16 minutes of play as Gophers jumped out to leads of 5-0 and 7-1 before settling for a 9-4 halftime lead. He also scored his other two goals in the final 11 minutes of the fourth quarter after the Royals fought back gallantly.
The Gophers, who converted 4 of 5 extra-man opportunities, also received four goals from senior attacker Kyle Boncaro (Geneva, NY/Geneva), two goals and two assists from senior attacker Rory Averett (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North), and a goal and an assist from freshman attacker Sam Morgan (Wilmot, NH/Kearsarge Regional).
Junior goalkeeper Ben Worthington (Jenkintown, Pa./Archbishop Wood) finished with 11 saves for Scranton while junior Connor Mishaw (Wilmington, Del./Brandywine) was credited with 10 stops for Goucher.
The Royals will play their final non-conference game of the season this Wednesday, April 25, against Franklin & Marshall College beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Fitzpatrick Field.