Jensen?s Late Goal Gives Manhattan 9-8 Win Over Air Force

Box Score 

RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? Justin Jensen (Bay Shore, N.Y.) scored an unassisted tally with 11 seconds remaining to propel the Manhattan College men's lacrosse team (4-4) to a 9-8 win over Air Force (3-5) at Gaelic Park on Tuesday night.  The final score was Manhattan's only lead of the game, as the Jaspers overcame a 6-3 halftime deficit to post their third straight victory.

Manhattan trailed 7-6 after three quarters, but Sal Perrotto (Garnerville, N.Y.) scored 2:17 into the fourth to tie the game.  Air Force regained the lead less than a minute later when Vinny Sandtorv scored from in front of the net off a beautiful feed from Ridge Flick.  With 3:21 remaining in the game, Air Force's Dan Gnazzo was sent off for an illegal body check.  Manhattan took advantage of the one-minute man-up opportunity, and tied it at 8-8 when Perrotto found the back of the net off a pass from Joe Variano (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) with 2:54 remaining. 

The Jaspers won the ensuing faceoff, then took a timeout with a little more than a minute left to set up a final play.  Manhattan held it until the final seconds, when Jensen split the Air Force defense and put the game-winner into the top left corner of the net.  After Jensen's goal, Angelo Marrano (Rocky Point, N.Y.) won perhaps the biggest faceoff of the night, preventing one last Air Force scoring chance and securing Manhattan's come-from-behind victory.

Air Force got on the board first on a goal by Sandtorv at the 12:33 mark of the first quarter, but the Jaspers responded less than a minute later on a goal by Salvatore Spatarella (Rocky Point, N.Y.).  Flick put the Falcons back in front, then Spatarella scored again to tie it, 2-2, at the 7:07 mark of the first quarter.  Jeff Pecora scored with 1:02 left in the quarter to give the Falcons a 3-2 lead after one.

James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.) notched an unassisted goal at the 13:50 mark of the second quarter to tie the game at 3-3, but Manhattan was held scoreless for the rest of the half.  Air Force tallied three goals 32 seconds apart to break the tie and take a 6-3 lead into the locker room.

The Sals connected to bring Manhattan within two early in the second half, with Spatarella feeding Perrotto for a goal 1:16 into the second half.  Air Force regained its three-goal cushion on K.J. Landgraf's tally with 12:55 left in the third quarter.  Synowiez notched his second goal of the game off an assist from Mike Brooks (Timunium, Md.) at the 7:51 mark, then added a man-up tally with 2:30 left in the quarter to cut the Jaspers' deficit to one, 7-6.

Perrotto and Synowiez each had a hat trick in the game for Manhattan.  Spatarella also tallied three points with two goals and an assist.  Variano distributed two assists.  John Geagan (Seaford, N.Y.) made 11 saves in goal to earn his second straight win.  Geagan (2-4) also collected a team-high eight ground balls, as the Jaspers held a 42-39 advantage on the ground.  Steve Sternberg (Easton, Conn.) collected five ground balls, while Kyle Moeller (South Setauket, N.Y.) posted four ground balls and caused four turnovers.

Sandtorv notched a hat trick for the Falcons, while Flick and Griffin Nevitt each tallied a goal and an assist.  Sean Purio corralled a team-best six ground balls, while three Air Force players each gathered four ground balls.  Brian Wilson (0-1) made nine saves, as Air Force was outshot 41-28.