C.W. Post Win Ensures Rematch in D-II Final
from press release
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. -- The No. 1 C.W. Post
men’s lacrosse team is making a return trip to the national
title game after pulling out a 9-8 win over No. 2 Dowling College
in front of 3,418 fans in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division
II tournament Saturday afternoon on Hickox Field.
C.W. Post improves to 15-1 overall and will face Le Moyne for the
second straight year in the NCAA championship game. Dowling closes
its season out with an overall record of 12-2. The Pioneers advance
to the title game for the second straight season. They defeated
LeMoyne 8-7 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. to win their
second program title in 2009.
The Pioneers outshot the Golden Lions, 39-28, and held a 43-36
advantage in ground balls.
Sophomore attacker Eddie Plompen (West Islip, N.Y.) led the
Pioneer offense with four goals, including the game-winner with
2:49 left in the fourth quarter.
Dowling scored the game’s first goal with 9:16 on the clock
in the first when senior attacker Kyle O’Brien (Whitby,
Ontario) bounced a shot in on a pass from sophomore attacker Vito
DeMola (Holtsville, N.Y.).
The Pioneers responded with three straight goals, including two
from Plompen and one from junior midfielder James Johnston
(Farmingville, N.Y.) to take a 3-1 lead with 4:28 to play in the
first.
The Golden Lions cut the lead in half when senior attacker John
McClure (Brampton, Ontario) scored with 14:11 to play in the
second.
C.W. Post pushed its lead to 5-2 with a pair of goals from
freshman attacker Justin Patterson (Corning, N.Y.) and senior
midfielder Joe Meo (Sayville, N.Y.).
The Golden Lions rebounded and virtually controlled play by
outscoring the Pioneers, 6-0, over the next two quarters to take an
8-5 lead with 6:34 to play to take an 8-5 lead.
C.W. Post got back into the game with a goal from Johnston with 59
seconds left in the third on a pass from junior attacker Nick Coric
(Walnut Creek, Calif.) to cut the lead to 8-6. The Pioneers cut the
deficit to one goal when junior midfielder Mike Messina (Sayville,
N.Y.) scored unassisted at 8:30 in the fourth. Plompen scored the
tying goal at 5:40 from sophomore attacker Keith Rodriguez
(Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.).
Johnston added two goals and Patterson, Meo and Messina each
scored one goal toward the cause.
Junior Mike Giordano (Farmingdale, N.Y.) made nine saves in the
game, including five in the third to preserve the win.
McClure led the Golden Lions with four goals and O’Brien scored two goals and added two assists.
