Box Score Box Score

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – With over an hour of lightning delays, the Lycoming College men’s lacrosse team thundered its way past DeSales University 15-6 on Wednesday, April 21. Ethan Payne and Stephen Romano each stung the Bulldogs for four goals apiece.

Lycoming (8-5, 6-2) was locked in a struggle early in the contest, with the two squads tied 3-3 at the end of the first period. The Warriors took an early 2-0 lead after Payne and Ed Williams each found the goal unassisted. But the Bulldogs rallied, tagging two goals of their own. After clearing the ball, junior Kevin Pfister found an open Romano for a man-down goal. DeSales countered with an extra man goal to end the opening stanza.

The Warriors held a 2-1 advantage in the second period and took a narrow 5-4 lead into halftime. Payne scored both of Lycoming’s goals in the quarter, with the first at 11:18 and the second with only 1:38 left in the half. Ben Walker hit Payne for the assist on the first goal with Nate Walter on the second.

Brad Schaeffer had a hand in the first three Lycoming goals of the third quarter, scoring the first on a pass from Walker for a man-up tally followed by back-to-back assists, one to Payne and the other to Williams. The Bulldogs scored just once in the third before Romano found the back of the net with only 28 seconds left in the game.

With 3:10 left in the third quarter, the game was suspended due to lightning in the area, and again in the fourth quarter, combining for over an hour of delay time, forcing the teams into their locker rooms.

But even lightning could not stop the Warriors scoring effort, with senior defenseman Kevin Devenney  going coast-to-coast and scoring just 35 seconds into the fourth period, sparking a five goal run in the fourth. Walter, Walker, Romano and Schaeffer each scored during the run. Following the second delay, Romano tallied the final goal of the game at 2:44 of the fourth to end the game.

“I was really impressed with today’s outcome,” said head coach Brian Anken. “It really showed our team’s ability to remain focused and be audible ready under some uncommon circumstances.”

Schaeffer and Williams ended their games with two goals each, while Walter, Walker and Devenney each scored once. Schaeffer, Walker and Walter all had two helpers each. In the cage, junior goaltender Alan Antinarelli made four stops and picked off three passes and had five groundballs. Senior long-stick midfielder Shawn Lowman picked up three groundballs, giving him 101 in his career. The Warriors struggled on faceoffs, winning just six of the 24 draws.

Lycoming’s next game will be against Middle Atlantic Conference foe Widener University on Saturday, April 24 in Chester, Pa. Game time is set for 1 p.m.