MLX: Lasell comes from behind to defeat MIT

NEWTON, Mass. – Lasell College scored seven consecutive goals in the second half Wednesday afternoon, coming back from three goals down to defeat MIT, 12-10, in the college men's lacrosse season opener for both schools at chilly Grellier Field.

Sophomores Colby Buccheri (Rowley, Mass.) and Andrew Fidalgo (Wilbraham, Mass.) scored three goals apiece for the Lasers, including two each during the second-half flurry. They helped Lasell come back from an 8-5 deficit midway through the third quarter to a 12-8 lead with just two minutes remaining in the fourth. Freshmen Bash Cunningham (Norwalk, Conn.) and Max Litchfield (Barrington, N.H.) also scored in the Laser surge, and senior Ryan Madden (Hingham, Mass.) had a goal and an assist.

Fidalgo added an assist for a four-point game to top the Lasers. Madden and senior Mike Susi (Gorham, Maine) tallied a goal and two assists each, and Litchfield finished with two goals. Senior David Sheehan (Tewksbury, Mass.) led the defense with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.

Junior Jack Strachan (Moresville, N.C.) led all scorers with five goals and one assist for MIT. Sophomore Oliver Heins (Fair Haven, N.J.) tallied two goals and sophomore Mark Heatzig (Boca Raton, Fla.) and senior Jake Stein (Vienna, Va.) added a goal and an assist each. Sophomore Luke Gianni (Henderson, Nev.) dominated the face-off X, winning 16-of-19 and collecting 10 ground balls, and senior Mitchell Galer (Westlake Village, Calif.) won 5-of-6 face-offs.

Freshman goalie Connor Kaminska (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) made 11 saves in the MIT goal. Lasell split time with its two goalies, with junior Ryan Janovic (East Lyme, Conn.) making eight saves on 15 shots in the first half, and freshman Alex Beauchemin (Westfield, Mass.) making five saves on eight shots and earning the win in the second half.

Each team notched back-to-back goals twice in the first quarter, leading to a 4-4 deadlock after the first frame. MIT scored the only three goals in the second quarter to put the visitors up 7-4 at the intermission.

The teams traded goals in the first three minutes of the third quarter, but the Laser defense held MIT scoreless the next 25 minutes of the game clock while scoring seven times to pull ahead 12-8. Strachan tacked on two goals for MIT in the final two minutes but the clock ran out on the Engineers.

Lasell returns to action next Wednesday, March 6, with a visit to Roger Williams University (4 p.m.) MIT travels to Rensselaer on Saturday, March 2, for a 2 p.m. match-up.

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