Carraro Ignites Denver's Decisive Six-Goal Run
from press release | Live Blog Replay/Post-Game Comments
BALTIMORE, Md. – Loyola University Maryland's Patrick Fanshaw scored an extra-man goal 47 seconds in the second half to tie the game at 6-6, but No. 19 Denver University scored six unanswered goals and the Pioneers defeated the 17th-ranked Greyhounds, 12-8, on Wednesday night at Ridley Athletic Complex in ECAC Lacrosse League action.
Denver (4-2 overall, 1-0 ECAC) was whistled for an unnecessary roughness penalty nine seconds in to the second half, as Brendan DeBlois checked Loyola face-off specialist John Schiavone in front of the crease, and the Greyhounds went on the extra-man.
Chris Basler found Fanshaw camped in front of the goal, and the sophomore scored to even the game at 6-6.
Neither the Greyhounds (3-2, 1-1), nor Denver scored for nearly eight minutes, however, until Alex Demopoulos tallied a goal for the Pioneers with 6:30 left in the third quarter.
Just six seconds later Mark Matthews scored in an unsettled situation, and the Pioneers were on the run.
"We tied it at 6-6, and Denver made a heck of a run," Head Coach Charley Toomey said. "Going from 6-6 to 12-6, playing from behind, took the wind out of our sails."
Denver scored five goals in the game that came during transition situations after face-offs. Chase Carraro, who won 11-of-23 restarts for the Pioneers, tallied two goals in the first half.
After Matthew's goal made Denver's lead 8-6, Cameron Flint converted an extra-man opportunity for the Pioneers, scoring unassisted with 1:17 to go in the third quarter.
|
|
Denver's Chase Carraro was just 11-of-23 against Loyola's John Schiavone, but he won timely draws in the third quarter and scored two goals in the Pioneers' 12-8 win. © Trevor Brown |
A Carraro win at the 'X' to start the fourth frame led to a Demopoulos goal 13 seconds into the period, and Todd Baxter tallied a goal 16 ticks after that off a Jeremy Noble assist.
Matthews capped the Pioneers' run with his second goal during the stretch, pushing Denver's advantage to six, 12-6, with 13:22 remaining in the game.
Loyola added two late goals – Sawyer off a Matt Langan assist with 2:06 left, and an unassisted tally by Langan with 1:46 to go – to provide the final difference.
Sawyer scored the game's first goal just 47 seconds in, ripping a shot from over 10 yards out, but Eric Law evened the score with 11:52 left in the first quarter, spurring another Denver run, this one of the 4-0 variety.
Carraro scored his first of the game with 90 seconds left in the opening quarter, and he then
pulled out the ball on the ensuing face-off, and Cameron Flint picked up the ground ball and went to goal, scoring eight seconds later.
Noble capped the 4-0 run 1:48 into the second quarter to make Denver's lead 4-1.
Sawyer scored his second unassisted goal of the game at the 8:40 mark in the second, stemming the tide for Loyola, and Stephen Murray pulled the Greyhounds within a goal with an extra-man goal at the 6:43 mark.
Carraro picked up the ground ball on the next face-off, and pushed Denver's lead back to a pair five seconds later.
Davis Butts scored for Loyola with 3:19 to go in the half, but Baxter took a Demopoulos feed and extended Denver's lead back to two 28 seconds after that. Sawyer, however, ripped off his third of the half with 2:16 to play, making it a one-goal game, 6-5, at the break.
Sawyer led all players with four goals for the Greyhounds. He now has scored 14 in his last three games. Josh Hawkins had a career-high nine ground balls.
Five Denver players – Baxter, Demopoulos, Flint, Matthews and Carraro – scored two each. Baxter had three assists, and Demopoulos added two.
The Greyhounds return to ECAC Lacrosse League action quickly, as they travel to Colorado Springs for a 1 p.m. (Mountain)/3 p.m. (Eastern) game on Saturday at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
