Box Score
LYNCHBURG, Va. ? Last year at Gaelic Park, the Manhattan College men's lacrosse team needed double overtime on the last day of the season to beat VMI and clinch a place in the MAAC Tournament. This year's meeting with the Keydets wasn't anywhere near as dramatic. The Jaspers (3-4, 1-1 MAAC) erupted for four straight goals to break open a 2-2 game and cruised to an 11-6 victory over the Keydets (1-7, 0-2 MAAC) in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at Foster Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
VMI's Colin Bosse scored the first goal of the game just 1:12 into the contest before the Jaspers got unassisted goals from Sal Perrotto (Garnerville, N.Y.) and Luke Dilillo (Lexington, Mass.) to take the lead. Bosse scored again at the 7:12 mark of the first quarter, but Manhattan responded with the next four goals to build a comfortable 6-2 advantage.
Joe Variano (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) got the rally started when he scored off a feed from Salvatore Spatarella (Rocky Point, N.Y.) to put the Jaspers back in front, then James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.) scored with 37 seconds left in the first quarter. Justin Jensen (Bay Shore, N.Y.) and Kelly Mahon (Spring Lake, N.J.) scored to increase Manhattan's lead to 6-2 before Bosse scored a pair to pull the Keydets within 6-4. Dilillo notched an unassisted tally with 10 seconds left in the first half to give the Jaspers a 7-4 halftime edge.
Manhattan increased its lead to 9-4 on third quarter goals by Synowiez and Spatarella, but VMI's Tim Moran recorded back-to-back scores midway through the fourth quarter to again make it a three-goal game at 9-6. Synowiez scored again to complete a hat trick with 2:32 remaining, then John Washburn (Loudonville, N.Y.), a junior transfer from Hudson Valley Community College, tallied his first goal in a Manhattan uniform to finish off the scoring.
Synowiez led the way offensively for the Jaspers, tallying four points (three goals, one assist). Dilillo had two goals and Jensen notched a goal and an assist, while Angelo Marrano (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) contributed two assists. Synowiez, Jensen and Kyle Moeller (South Setauket, N.Y.) each collected a team-high four ground balls. John Geagan (Seaford, N.Y.) (1-4) gathered two ground balls and made 15 saves in net to earn his first victory of the season.
Bosse and Moran accounted for all six of VMI's goals. Moran also had an assist, while Brett Leonard assisted on two goals. Dave Padgett corralled a game-high six ground balls for the Keydets. Alex Benedick (0-2) took the loss after making 16 saves in goal and collecting three ground balls.
Manhattan now returns home for its next three games, starting with a non-conference tilt against Air Force (3-3) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The contest, the Jaspers' only home night game of the season, is the tail end of a Manhattan lacrosse doubleheader. The women's team hosts UC Davis at 3:30 p.m.