Box Score TOWSON, MD – In their fourth game of the season the Williams men's lacrosse team (1-3/1-2 NESCAC) played a NESCAC contest against Connecticut College (3-2/3-1 NESCAC) on the campus of Goucher College and the Ephs were defeated by the Camels 10-6.
Williams entered the game off a heartbreaking overtime loss at Catholic University, 8-7, in the first week that they had cracked the top ten of the New England rankings in over a year.
Connecticut College came into the fray ranked 4th in New England and 17th nationally. The Camels had lost their last two contests after opening the season with two wins. All three of Conn's wins have now come in NESCAC play.
"Statistically with the exception of faceoffs and turnovers I thought it was a pretty well-played game," said Eph head coach George McCormack. "The turnovers, faceoffs and getting out-executed a few times made the difference in the game."
A 5-4 Connecticut College lead at the half, grew to 8-4 at the end of three quarters as the Camels scored three times and blanked the Ephs in the quarter, taking control of the contest.
The Connecticut College Camels took a 3-1 lead in the first quarter and into the first break. Conn got the game's first goal at 13:39 when Chad Sawyer converted off a feed from JR Hartgers.
Just under 6 minutes later the Ephs knotted the game at one when Andy Grabowski rang up an unassisted goal.
The Camels took the lead back for good at 3:48 when Pat Leary scored from 15 yards out to the right of Eph Goalie Dan Whittam. Hartgers was credited with the assist.
The Conn lead grew to two when Tyler Corcoran hit a cutting Andrew Freedman who scored from just outside the crease to Whittam's left capitalizing on a man-up opportunity.
Conn raised their lead to three, 4-1, when Briggs Barton converted off a feed from Andrew Freeman at 11:29 of the second quarter, again taking advantage of a man-up situation.
The Eph attack struggled to get in gear early on versus the Conn zone defense, but things got better in the second quarter as the Ephs began to attack the crease rather than cycle the ball around the zone.
The next two goals of the game were scored by the Ephs and narrowed the Conn lead to 1 goal. Jack Lauroesch assisted both Eph goals. Lauroesch set up Andy Grabowski at 9:09 and then Even Dedominicis three minutes later. In between those two goals the Ephs nearly registered another a game-tying goal when Bryson Gilbert-Bono whipped a shot on the frame that hit the left post and caromed out of harm's way.
The Camels' Chad Sawyer stopped the Ephs' momentum when he came around from behind the goal and beat Whittam from the right side with a shot just inside the near post and Conn was up 5-3.
Evan Dedominicis netted the final goal of the first half when he recorded an unassisted score at 3:25, but that was the closest the Ephs would come for the remainder of the game.
Conn out scored the Ephs 3-0 in the third quarter and took an 8-4 lead.
The final two Ephs' goals were scored by Colton Growney, with an assist from Steven Kiesel, and then Kiesel scored on an unassisted effort at 3:45.
Briggs Barton led Conn in scoring with three goals and Chad Sawyer and Pat Leary each added two. For the Ephs Dedominicis and Growney scored a pair of goals and Lauroesch chipped in with two assists.
Eph goalie Dan Whittam faced 22 shots from Connecticut College, saving 12 and allowing 10 goals. The Camels' Bobby Bleistein denied the Ephs 15 times and allowed 6 goals.
The Ephs were victimized by committing 16 turnovers to the Camels' 10 and giving the Camels five man-up opportunities that led to two goals.
Ground balls were even on the day at 21 and Conn out shot the Ephs by 1, 22-21. The Camels won 13 of 20 faceoffs.
The Ephs will stay on the road for one more contest. Tuesday Williams will venture into Saratoga Springs, NY to play the Skidmore Thoroughbreds in a game that will start at 7:00 PM.
After the Skidmore contest the Ephs will return home to Renzie Lamb Field, where they will host Bates on Saturday at 1:00 PM and Bowdoin on Sunday at 12:00 PM.
