Centenary Starts Season with Win Over Alvernia
from press release
READING, Pa. - Junior Joe Swantkoski (Flemington,
N.J./Hunterdon Central) scored a game-high five goals as the
Centenary men's lacrosse team (1-0) opened its season with an 11-9,
come-from-behind victory over Alvernia (0-1), Wednesday in Reading,
Pa. The Cyclones found themselves down 4-0 after the first quarter
and 7-4 entering the fourth before outscoring the Crusaders 7-2 in
the final period to win by two.
Swantkoski took 11 shots, including 10 on goal. He also recorded two groundballs and won all five of his faceoffs. Senior Jason Rieg (Chester, N.J./West Morris Central) finished with five points on two goals and three assists and fellow classmate Eddie Montalvo (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) tallied one goal, eight groundballs and four caused turnovers.
A pair of freshmen acquitted themselves very well in their first collegiate game, as Conor Nolan (Hillsborough, N.J./Immaculata) recorded two goals, two assists and one groundball and Sean Lowe (Westminster, Md./Westminster) tied for the team lead with eight groundballs. Sophomore goalie Kyle McVay (North Brunswick, N.J./North Brunswick Twp.) finished one save shy of his career-high, stopping 14 shots, while setting a personal-best with eight groundballs.
Trailing 4-0 after the first quarter, Centenary scored three consecutive goals, including two by Swantkoski, to open the second period. Nolan scored his first goal as a Cyclone during that stretch. But Alvernia tallied twice to end the stanza and went into the locker room with a 6-3 halftime lead.
Both teams' defenses stiffened in the third quarter, as only two goals were scored, one by each squad. In the fourth quarter, however, Centenary found its scoring touch, scoring six straight goals at one point to take an 11-8 advantage. Alvernia cut the lead to 11-9 with 35 seconds remaining but CC was able to hold on for the victory.
The Cyclones return to action on Saturday, March 6, with a road game against Penn State-Abington. Last season CC defeated PSU 11-8 behind six points from Rieg, on three goals and three assists.
