Men's Lacrosse Falls to MSU in
Skyline Championship Game
MONTCLAIR, N.J. (5/1/10) – Montclair
State University junior midfielder Robert Sinicola (North
Caldwell, N.J.) scored a game-high five goals, including two
goals in the decisive third quarter, to lead the Red Hawks to a
12-8 win over Kean University in the Skyline Conference
Championship game on Saturday afternoon.
After the second-seeded Cougars (12-6) outscored top-seeded
Montclair State 6-3 in the second quarter to take a 6-5 lead at
halftime, the Red Hawks answered with all five third quarter goals,
including two by tournament Most Valuable Player Sinicola, to
retake the lead en-route to winning their second straight Skyline
Championship and earn the conference's automatic bid to the
NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars received two goals apiece from seniors
Anthony Bertucci (Edison, N.J.) and Scott
Leathem (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and sophomore Nick
Angrisani (Belle Mead, N.J.), as they fall to Montclair
State for the second straight year in the Skyline Championship
game.
Montclair State quickly opened up a goal when freshman Sean
Gilmore (Elmwood, N.J.) picked up the groundball on the
opening faceoff and found Sinicola for the first goal just 11
seconds into the game.
After the Red Hawks extended the lead to 4-1 on Sinicola's
second goal of the game with 11:40 remaining in the second quarter,
the Cougars scored five of the game's next six goals to take
a 6-5 lead at halftime
Senior C.J. Gannon (Morris Plains, N.J.) opened
the run with a goal with less than 10 minutes left in the quarter
and Bertucci (pictured right)
followed less than a minute later with an unassisted to goal
to pull the Cougars to within 4-3.
The Red Hawks extended the lead back to two-goals following a
score by sophomore Matthew Prongay (Edison, N.J.), before
unassisted goals by sophomore Justin Lappen (Tolland,
Conn.) and Bertucci just 21 seconds apart tied the game at
5-5 with 3:43 remaining in the half.
Leathem scored with just seven seconds remaining in the half off
the assist from sophomore Rob Child (Avon, N.J.)
for the 6-5 lead at the break, however that would be the Cougars
only lead of the game as Montclair State scored all five third
quarter goals to take the 10-6 lead at the end of the third
quarter.
Sinicola tied the game 2:41 into the third quarter and junior
Ryan Kloss (Flemington, N.J.) scored the go-ahead goal
1:23 later, and the Red Hawks netted three more goals in the period
to build their largest lead of the game at four goals.
The Cougars opened the fourth quarter with an unassisted goal by
Angrisani with just under 12 minutes left in the goal, however
sophomore attack Tyler Meth (Basking Ridge, N.J.) extended
the lead back to four goals for the Red Hawks midway through the
quarter and the final two minutes saw Angrisani and Sinicola trade
goals for the 12-8 final.
In goal for Kean, junior Greg Egan (Gibbsboro,
N.J.) and rookie Lane Zierten (Washington Twp.,
N.J.) combined for nine saves, while Montclair State
goalkeeper Andrew Rosado (Elmwood Park, N.J.) stopped
seven shots.
The Cougars await the announcement of the Eastern College
Athletic Conference Mid-Atlantic Region Championships on Monday,
May 10.
