Firebirds Men’s Lacrosse Falls at Reigning ECC Champion, LIU Post

BROOKVILLE, NY – The University of the District of Columbia men's lacrosse team was defeated by the defending East Coast Conference champion, LIU Post by a final of 16-4 on Saturday afternoon.

Freshman attack Chase Fraser (Elementary Education – Aldergrove, BC/Blue Ridge School) led the Firebirds with two goals, and sophomore midfielder Luke Gillespie (Business Management – Maple Ridge, BC/Pfeiffer University) and junior defender Michael King (Public Administration – Kansas City, MO/St. John's University (MN)) added one goal apiece.

The Pioneers, who are ranked No. 4 in the most recent United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Division II Poll, had eight different players tally at least one goal, including three with hat tricks. Attack Ryan Slane led the LIU Post offensive onslaught with three goals and two assists. Fellow attacks Chris Caiazza and Joe Costello each added three goals as well, while the reigning ECC player of the week, Matty Beccaris registered a game-high six points on two goals and four assists.

Junior goalkeeper Tom Yancheski made 18 saves while allowing 14 goals in the loss. He was relieved by sophomore Pat Payne for the final 4:32 of regulation. Payne, in his first action of the season, made two saves and allowed two goals.

LIU Post blanked UDC 3-0 in the first quarter and led 4-0 after Caizza's second goal of the game early in the 2^nd quarter. Fraser then put the Firebirds on the board with an unassisted goal at the 10:42 mark, but the Pioneers closed out the period on a 4-0 run and took a commanding, 8-1 lead into halftime.

Slane scored his 2^nd and 3^rd goals of the afternoon for the first scoring of the second half followed by Ciazza's 3^rd and final goal to make it 11-1, LIU Post with 6:19 left in the 3^rd quarter. With just under four minutes remaining in the 3^rd quarter, Fraser added his second goal of the day off of an assist by freshman midfielder Quinton Pavan (Childhood Education – Port Coquitlam, BC/Blue Ridge HS) during a man-up opportunity. Less than three minutes later, Gillespie scored off of an assist by Yancheski to make the score, 11-3. But Costello would score for LIU Post with 31 seconds remaining in the 3^rd quarter to make it 12-3, and the Pioneers would go on to out-score UDC 4-1 in the fourth quarter to win comfortably, 16-4.

The Firebirds have a week off before they host the school's first ever lacrosse game on Saturday, March 15^th at 12 p.m. vs. ECC foe Dominican (NY).