Late Goal Sinks No. 12 UMass, Lifts Bulldogs

from press release

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - After UMass scored three goals in the final five minutes to tie the game at 12, Yale's Matt Gibson scored with 34 second left to lift the Bulldogs to a 13-12 win on Friday night. Freshman Will Manny scored two of his three goals in the late run and Steve D'Amario tied the game on his first career goal with 1:21 left in regulation before Yale won it. The Minutemen fall to 2-1 overall while Yale moves to 2-0.

Manny had his first career hat trick in the game while Bobby Hayes had two goals. Six other UMass players scored in the game as the first eight goals came from eight different Minutemen.

Gibson tallied five goals including that game-winner along with two assists for seven points. Brian Douglass and Gregory Mahony each had a pair of goals for the Bulldogs.

Down 12-9 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Manny scored back-to-back goals on a wraparound with 4:51 left and off a pass from Ryan Liebel with 2:14 left in the fourth. D'Amario then tied the game on a pass from Hayes with 1:21 left in the fourth on a fast-moving man-up goal. The final two goals were set up by outstanding defensive plays by sophomore Tom Celentani. He started the possession with a big hit caused a Yale failed clear and then saved the possession on the 11th goal as the ball was loose at midfield.

Matt Gibson scored the winner on a fastbreak off a UMass turnover and Max Rodman won his 17th face-off of the night and the Bulldogs ran out the clock for the win.

UMass came out strong taking a 7-4 lead 5:32 into the second quarter on an Art Kell goal. Yale then played tremendous defense limiting UMass to one goal over the next 32 minutes, scoring seven goals over the span with Matt Gibson netting two in the 7-1 run.

Hayes ended a 22-minute UMass drought with 6:55 left in the fourth quarter cutting the deficit to 11-9. The Minutemen were held off the scoreboard in the third quarter marking the first time UMass didn't score in a quarter all season (first 10 quarters).

UMass' Tim McCormack made 12 saves in the game while Yale's Jonathan Falcone stopped seven including five the second half.

Yale outshot the Minutemen 44-30 for the game including 23-13 in the second half.

In scoring 12 goals and losing, UMass' 45-game streak of scoring at least 11 goals and winning ended. The Minutemen had not lost when netting 11 since 2002, a 13-12 loss to Johns Hopkins.

UMass will have a quick turnaround hosting Albany on Tuesday at Garber Field.