Box Score
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - Despite being separated by just 31 miles, the men's lacrosse teams from Manhattan College and Hofstra had never met until Tuesday night. It was a thrilling homecoming for the 16 Long Islanders on the Jaspers' roster, but the No. 10 Pride (6-3), Manhattan's third Top 10 opponent of the season, scored the first 16 goals of the game en route to an 18-2 victory over the Jaspers (4-5) at James M. Shuart Stadium.
The Pride scored just 1:19 into the game and held a 6-0 advantage after one quarter. Hofstra added six more goals in the second quarter to take a 12-0 halftime edge. The Pride tallied another four goals in the third quarter to run their lead to 16-0.
Manhattan finally got on the scoreboard when Justin Jensen (Bay Shore, N.Y.) connected with Tyler Jarvis (O'Fallon, Mo.) with 27 seconds left in the third quarter. Hofstra scored 16 seconds later to make it 17-1. The Jaspers got a goal from Salvatore Spatarella (Rocky Point, N.Y.) with 11:48 remaining before Hofstra's Tyler Corcoran found the back of the net to finish off the scoring.
Spatarella and Jensen each fired six shots, and four of Spatarella's shots went on goal. James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.) was held without a point for the first time in his Manhattan career, snapping a 26-game point-scoring streak. Synowiez did collect a ground ball and cause a turnover. Kyle Ochwat (Farmingdale, N.Y.) corralled a team-high four ground balls, while Chris LoGiudice (Patchogue, N.Y.), Mike Pisciotta (Massapequa, N.Y.) and Matt Solomito (Holtsville, N.Y.) each recorded three ground balls. Solomito (0-3), a Long Island native, made six stops in net.
Jamie Lincoln finished with four goals and six points for the Pride, while Aaron Jones also notched a hat trick. Jay Card had a five-point game (two goals, three assists) for Hofstra. Tom Interlicchio also had a pair of goals for the Pride. Sean Lucas gathered a game-high five ground balls, as Hofstra had a 42-27 advantage in that category. Andrew Gvozden (1-0) played the first 45 minutes in net and nearly held the Jaspers scoreless through three quarters. He made 10 saves and collected three ground balls before giving way to Rob Bellairs and Kyle Dillon in the fourth.
The Jaspers return home on Saturday, when they welcome another Top 15 opponent-No. 13 Villanova (6-3) to Gaelic Park for a 7 p.m. showdown. The contest will be webcast live at www.gojaspers.com as a part of the JasperVision package. Prior to the lacrosse game, the Manhattan softball team opens its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) schedule with a 12 p.m. doubleheader against Iona at Gaelic Park.
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