Close Shave: Cortland Needs OT Versus RIT
from press release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Junior Chris DeLuca's (Sayville)
fourth goal of the game with seven seconds remaining in overtime
lifted the nationally fourth-ranked Cortland men's lacrosse team to
a thrilling 12-11 win at 16th-ranked RIT Wednesday afternoon in
non-conference action. The Red Dragons won their fourth consecutive
game and improved to 5-2 on the season. The Tigers had a six-game
winning streak snapped with the loss and fell to 6-3.
Besides DeLuca's game-high four goals, senior Tom Burke
(Massapequa) and sophomore Greg Wright (Irondequoit) each netted a
pair of scores for Cortland. Senior Brandon Misiaszek (New
Hartford) recorded a goal and two assists, junior Jay DiStefano
(Huntington/Harborfields) contributed a goal and an assist and
seniors Chris Dutkowsky (Vestal) and Neal Hopps (Akwesasne/Massena)
tallied one goal apiece.
Freshman goalie Mike Kaminski (Sayville) made 13 saves, junior
close defenseman Justin Schneidman (Katonah/John Jay-Cross River)
registered three caused turnovers and DeLuca and Burke each scooped
up five ground balls.
Senior Sean Gillies (Oakville, ON/Albany Academy) led the Tiger
offense with three goals. Junior Kelso Davis (Freeport,
ME/Deerfield Academy) added two goals and two assists, junior Iric
Bressler (Stafford, VA/North Stafford) had two goals and an assist
and senior Adam Lehmann (Rochester/McQuaid) scored twice. Junior
goalie Robert Tonnessen (Ridgefield, CT) turned aside19 shots.
After DeLuca and Lehmann traded goals early in the first quarter,
Cortland closed the stanza with three straight scores for a 4-1
lead. Hopps made it a 5-1 game three minutes into the second
quarter, but RIT responded by scoring six of the next eight goals,
with two each coming from Bressler and Gillies, to forge a 7-7 tie
with two minutes, 56 seconds remaining before intermission. DeLuca
stemmed the Tigers' momentum with his second of the game at the
1:53 mark and Cortland took an 8-7 lead into the half.
Two minutes, one second into the third quarter, RIT junior Chris
Cherami (Olwick, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) knotted the game at 8-all, but
Cortland answered with a three-goal run in a two-minute span and
opened up an 11-8 advantage. Gillies' third goal of the game at
9:33 of the third was the last score of the quarter and Cortland
led 11-9 heading into the fourth. At 8:18, Lehmann pulled the
Tigers to within 11-10, and neither team was able to find the back
of the net again until late.
With four minutes remaining, Kaminski made a key save and Cortland
successfully cleared the ball. The Red Dragons kept possession
until a turnover at the 2:20 mark. After a good clear by the
Tigers, Bressler found Davis open in front, who tied the game with
1:51 left in regulation. RIT won the ensuing faceoff and called
timeout at the 1:11 mark. The Tigers possessed the ball looking for
a last shot but turned the ball over with 20 seconds on the clock.
Burke cleared the ball but Tonnessen was able to deny a last second
Cortland shot to send the game into extra time.
In overtime, Cortland won the faceoff but turned the ball over at
the 3:15 mark. After RIT gained possession, the Tigers quickly lost
control and the Red Dragons again had the ball in their offensive
end. Cortland worked the ball until able to get a shot with under
two minutes remaining. Tonnessen made the save and Cortland scooped
up the ground ball. With just under a minute remaining, the Tigers
forced a turnover, transitioned into Cortland's end of the field
and took a long shot that Kaminski easily saved.
The Red Dragons earned a clear and worked the ball until Krol made
a pass from behind the cage to DeLuca, who stepped into a shot that
rocketed into the upper corner for the game winner.
