UDC Men’s Lacrosse Succumbs to No. 7 NYIT

WASHINGTON, DC – The University of the District of Columbia men's lacrosse team was defeated, 20-10 by the No. 7 nationally ranked New York Institute of Technology Bears on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon at Woodrow Wilson High School.

The Firebirds (2-3, 0-2 ECC) saw their two-game win streak snapped with today's loss while NYIT (6-1, 2-0 ECC) earned its fifth straight win.

The Bears capitalized on 5-of-6 man-up opportunities while the Firebirds were just 1-of-4. Also, after out-shooting its opponents nearly 2-to-1 in its first four games this season, UDC was out-shot for the first time, 53-36. Otherwise the game was pretty evenly played with face-offs split at 16, the Firebirds committing only two more turnovers (17-15), and NYIT edging the hosts in ground balls (50-47). The Bears were 20-of-26 on clear attempts while UDC was 18-of-20.

UDC was led by junior midfielder LaRon Hinton, who registered season-highs of four goals and 10 ground balls. Junior attack Chase Fraser added two goals for his fourth multi-goal scoring day in five games this season. Also, sophomore midfielder Teilen Celentano was 16-of-28 on face-offs and contributed one goal to the Firebirds' total.

Graduate goalkeeper Pat Payne made a season-high 16 saves – his third game this season with over 10 stops.

The Bears, meanwhile, featured eight different goal scorers, including four with two or more. Tom Hughes led all scorers with seven points on six goals and one assist, midfielder Will Kistinger added five goals, and attack Shawn Murphy registered three goals and three assists.

NYIT's Alex Seltzer picked up the win in goal with nine saves and six goals allowed in close to 54 minutes of work. Philip Grella III came on in relief and stopped two of six shots, allowing four goals.

The Bears charged out to a 2-0 lead with goals by Hughes and Murphy within a little over three minutes played, but Fraser made it a 2-1 game with an unassisted goal shot from in close on the left wing at the 7:28 mark.

Fraser would later commit a costly unnecessary roughness penalty that resulted in another Hughes goal at 6:23, and Hughes would score his third goal of the quarter, unassisted at 4:46. That goal set off a frenetic, three-goal spurt by the Bears in a span of just 44 seconds, as NYIT padded its lead to 6-1 near the four-minute mark. With just two seconds left in the opening quarter, Hinton would drive and beat a few Bears defenders to score from inside the circle to make it 6-2 heading into the second quarter.

Fraser zipped a pass across the field in front of the net to open junior attack Brock Thompson-Marshall who finished with quick hands to beat Seltzer for the first goal of the second period to bring UDC within three near the 11-minute mark. Two more times, with respective goals by Fraser and Hinton, UDC pulled within three, but surrendered two unanswered goals to end the half and trailed 10-5 heading into the break. Trailing 9-5 near the two-minute mark, UDC failed to take advantage of a two-men down situation for the Bears, missing its one shot before turning the ball over at 1:50.

NYIT went on to out-score UDC 6-1 in the third quarter and score the first four goals of the fourth quarter to take a 20-6 lead. The Firebirds scored the final four goals of the game to make it 20-10.

Next up, UDC takes on its second straight ranked opponent in ECC foe, No. 11 Mercy College on Saturday, March 26^th. Action from Dobbs Ferry, NY starts at 1 p.m.