The Lions were forced into sudden death in double overtime, but were able to blossom and score a last-minute goal to secure the win, 5-4.,April showers bring May flowers, but the rain also brought the Emerson College men’s lacrosse team a win against the Mariners of Maine Maritime Academy.
The Lions were forced into sudden death in double overtime, but were able to blossom and score a last-minute goal to secure the win, 5-4.
The men started off strong, scoring three goals in the first.
Sophomore Jake Frank scored the first goal quickly with 14:39 remaining in the quarter. Junior and co-captain Matt Horowitz scored the second goal at the 6:51 mark, and freshman John Munroe rounded out the period with 5:11 left, leaving the score 3-0.
The start of the second brought more power as Frank scored another goal on a two-pass breakaway, making the score 4-0. The Mariners picked up speed, however, and scored their first and only goal of the quarter at 13:05.
After a scoreless third period, Maine stepped up its play, scoring four goals in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 4-4 with only 1:18 left of the match.
The first five-minute sudden death overtime brought a scare as Maritime scored what was thought to be the game-ending goal.
However, a quick call by the referee rejected the goal due to the fact that it was shot within a no-shooting zone.
Neither team scored the remainder of the way.
The second sudden-death overtime brought out aggression in both teams. But it was Emerson that came out on top with a goal scored by Horowitz with 48.2 seconds remaining.
Head Coach Mike Blanchard was most impressed with the men’s top-notch defense. “You give up only four goals, that’s quality defense,” he said.
As playoffs approach, it is that resistance that will help the Lions continue on straight to the championship.
Along with tough defense, a good offensive strength, something Blanchard has been emphasizing all season, is another key component of getting further into playoffs.
“We haven’t buried anybody, with the exception of Becker,” he said. “Every game has been close. We need to generate more offense.”
It’s no surprise that the game ball was given to Horowitz for his winning goal.
He was proud of his accomplishment but had to give kudos to his teammates. “It does feel better,” he said. “But the defense played so well that if I didn’t score, then we would have just lost the game. So I’m just happy to have done my share.”
As great as he felt about winning the game, Horowitz couldn’t get one ugly picture out of his head.
“I mean, we had Dean [Smollar, goalie] dancing, which is a very ugly sight,” he said. “But he had beautiful goalie saves. He was beautiful on the field, disgusting in the locker room dancing.”