Box Score STANDISH, Maine – Norwich University (6-7, 4-4 GNAC) defeated Saint Joseph's College (5-9, 2-6 GNAC), 9-3, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) men's lacrosse contest at Deering Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Monks senior goalie Ethan Rettew (Ephrata, Pa.) made 12 saves in the season finale.
With the victory, Norwich earns the #6 seed in the upcoming GNAC Tournament, which begins Tuesday with a quarterfinal round. The Cadets, who needed to win today to advance to the postseason, will play at #3 Johnson & Wales University at 7:00 PM on Tuesday. For Saint Joseph's, the loss signals the end of the 2015 campaign.
The Monks scored first as junior Jake O'Brien (Andover, Mass.) scored 8:11 into the opening quarter, but the Cadets proceeded to net eight unanswered goals with the last, an Alex Bowen (Davidson, N.C.) tally, lifting the visitors to an 8-1 cushion with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter.
O'Brien's score provided the Monks with an advantage that remained until Cadets junior midfielder Ryan McCarthy (Medford, Mass.) netted a man-up marker off a Matt Flaherty (Portland, Maine) pass with 6:49 left in the opening frame. The duo connected again 3:30 later with an even-up goal with 1:34 left in the first quarter, lifting the visitors to a lead that would not be relinquished.
Senior Seth Fuller (Wheaton, Ill.), freshman Nolan Aurelia (Stratford, Conn.) and first-year Jared Thompson (Linthicum, Md.) continued the Norwich scoring string with second-half goals, providing the Cadets with a 5-1 lead heading into intermission.
Norwich kicked off the third-stanza scoring with a pair of man-up markers, as Fuller scored off a Michael Cashman feed at the 8:05 mark and McCarthy potted his second power play goal just 52 seconds later, and Bowen scored his second of the day to extend the visitors' cushion to 8-1 with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter.
O'Brien ceased the scoreless drought with his second tally of the game, off a Matt Donnell (Watertown, Mass.) feed, with two minutes left in the third frame while Fuller and senior midfielder Dalton Eldridge (South Gardiner, Maine) traded goals in the fourth to account for the 9-3 final.
For the Monks, Eldridge picked up a team-high five ground balls while senior LSM Colby Main (Jericho, Vt.) and freshman defender Liam Skinner (Irving, Texas) caused four turnovers apiece in the season-ending setback.
For the Cadets, McCarthy netted a hat trick, Fuller scored three with an assist, four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers, freshman Josh Jenkins (Centennial, Colo.) added an assist with six ground balls, senior C.J. Dolan (East Sandwich, Mass.) picked up a game-high eight ground balls and senior Andrew Beechinor (Andover, Mass.) chipped in with three caused turnovers. Senior goalie Ryan Fecteau (Danvers, Mass.) made 10 saves in the conference triumph.
Overall, Norwich held advantages in shots (36-30), ground balls (48-23) and face-off victories (13-2) on the afternoon.
Prior to the start of the contest, Saint Joseph's held a brief ceremony to honor the program's six seniors: Rettew, Eldridge, Main, Dom DiRupo (Wilmington, Mass.), Brandon Boutin (Hackettstown, N.J.) and Brad Loomis (Saunderstown, R.I.). This group played an important role in establishing the tradition of the SJC Men's Lacrosse program, a team that completed its eighth season as an NCAA varsity squad this afternoon, and will be missed going forward.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
