UMass Downs Harvard Behind Dominant 'D'
from press release
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The UMass defense was stellar all afternoon as the No. 17 Minuteman lacrosse team downed No. 11 Harvard, 7-3, in Cambridge on Saturday. Senior goalie Doc Schneider made 14 saves to backstop the defensive effort. Senior attackmen Tim Balise and Jim Connolly each scored twice for UMass which moves to 3-1. Harvard drops its first game of the season and stands 2-1. UMass plays at Albany on Tuesday afternoon.
Bobby Hayes, Rory Pedrick, and Art Kell added the other goals for the Minutemen, who won their 13th consecutive road game in the all-time series.
Schneider three goals allowed was a career best. His previous low of four was accomplished on four occasions, including in last week's win vs. Yale. Diogo Godoi contributed a career-high five groundballs to spearhead the defensive effort. Starting close defenders Greg Anderson and Brenan Mack each had four.
The Minutemen went up 1-0 at 8:32 of the first quarter when Hayes took a feed from Connolly and ripped a shot that beat Harvard goalie Joe Pike high. Connolly scored his first goal at 5:11 for the 2-0 advantage.
After Harvard cut the score to 2-1, UMass answered with three straight to bridge the second and third quarters. The strangest goal came from Pedrick, whose shot was blocked before it deflected off a Harvard player and across the goal line.
The Crimson cut the score to 5-3 midway through the third quarter, but the Minutemen defense held stout the rest of the way, holding Harvard scoreless the final 21:54. Connolly finished in front to make it 6-3 with only 13 seconds remaining in the third while Balise's rocket made it 7-3 at 12:25 of the fourth.
UMass is in action on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Albany and will return home to face #18 Brown next Saturday at 2 p.m.
