LEWISTON, Maine – The Colby College men's lacrosse team won
10 games in a season for the first time since 2002 and the Mules clinched the
fifth seed in the New England Small College Athletic Conference playoffs with
an 8-6 win over Bates College on Friday.
The Mules (10-5 overall, 5-4
NESCAC) will play at fourth-seeded Bowdoin College in a league quarterfinal
game at 1 p.m. Sunday. With another close loss against a NESCAC opponent -- it
is the Bobcats' fifth setback to come by a margin of three goals or fewer --
Bates finishes 4-9 overall and 0-9 in conference play.
Although Bates never led, the game was close throughout. Colby only led by as
many as three during a single four-minute span in the game.
Following Gary Guinta's goal on a Kyle Starr assist, the Bobcats trailed 5-4
with 8:23 left in the third period. Colby finished the period with back-to-back
goals by Patrick Briody and Jonathan McIvor, the latter coming with just four
seconds left in the third period for a 7-4 lead.
Bates cut it back to two with 11:09 left in the fourth quarter, as Starr netted
his second goal of the game, firing an outside shot between the knees of Colby
goalie Thomas Gianakos, after an unforced turnover by the Mules.
Bates took seven out of the next eight shots, and finally cashed in with an
unassisted goal by Rory Cosgrove to cut it to 7-6 with 5:06 left in the game.
The Bobcats attempted 15 of their 26 shots in the game during the fourth
quarter, ending the game with a 26-22 advantage in shots taken. Colby had a
21-13 edge in ground balls and a 10-6 edge in face-offs; the other major team
stats were virtually even between the teams.
Colby won the ensuing faceoff and scored a big insurance goal with 4:43 to go,
with Stew Brown getting the goal. The goal was scored after a yellow flag was
already tossed, giving the Mules their only man-up opportunity in the game
immediately following the goal.
Bates recovered a Colby turnover near the 2:00 mark, and after David Barrett
gathered his own blocked shot, the Bobcats called timeout with 1:24 remaining.
The Bobcats attempted four more shots over the remaining 84 seconds, one saved
and the others off target, as Colby preserved the victory.
McCarthy led the Mules with three goals, all scored during the first 17 minutes
of the game, and one assist. Scott Margolis added a pair of goals.
Gianakos and Bates goalie Adam Scharff had eight saves apiece.
Colby 8, Bates 6
Colby College....... 2 2 3 1 - 8
Bates College....... 1 2 1 2 - 6
Colby College SCORING: GOALS: Whit McCarthy 3; Scott Margolis 2; Stew Brown 1;
Patrick Briody 1; Jonathan McIvor 1. ASSISTS: Ian Deveau 1; Derrik Flahive 1;
Patrick Gilligan 1; Whit McCarthy 1; John Moriarty 1; Mark Squicciarino 1.
Bates College SCORING: GOALS: Kyle Starr 2; Rory Cosgrove 1; Luke Charest
1; Gary Guinta 1; Mark Murphy 1. ASSISTS: Jason Hichborn 1; Kyle Starr 1.
SHOTS - Colby College 22; Bates College 26. Penalties - Colby College 2/1:30;
Bates College 1/1:00. MAN-UP OPPORTUNITIES - Colby College 0-1; Bates College
0-2. TURNOVERS - Colby College 22; Bates College 20. FACEOFFS - Colby College
10-16; Bates College 6-16. GOALIES - Colby: Thomas Gianakos 9-5 (60:00 minutes,
14 shots-8 saves, 6 GA); Bates: Adam Scharff 4-8 (60:00, 16-8, 8).
2010
NESCAC Men's Lacrosse Championship
Sunday,
May 2 at Higher Seeds
Quarterfinal
Games
No.
8 Wesleyan at No. 1 Connecticut College – 1:00 pm
No.
7 Williams at No. 2 Tufts – 1:00 pm
No.
6 Middlebury at No. 3 Amherst – 2:30 pm
No.
5 Colby at No. 4 Bowdoin – 1:00 pm
Saturday,
May 8 at Highest Remaining Seed
Semifinals
– games at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Highest remaining seed vs. lowest remaining seed
Remaining
first round winners
Sunday,
May 9
Final - 12:00 p.m.
Semifinal winners
