Jack Curtis scored a team-high four goals in Saturday’s 21-8 NCAA loss to No. 6 Tufts University

Box Score

MEDFORD, Mass. – Tufts University sophomore Sean Kirwan (Boonton Township, N.J.) scored seven goals, one shy of the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship record for a game, as the sixth-ranked Jumbos toppled Endicott College, 21-8, in an NCAA second-round contest on Saturday afternoon at Bello Field. The Gulls, who won just their second NCAA Tournament game in program history last weekend, end the season with a 14-8 mark.

Tufts, which improved to 17-1, advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals where it will host NESCAC rival Middlebury College on Wednesday (May 19). A starting time has not been announced. Middlebury won its second-round game at RPI, 16-8.

The Jumbos broke the game open with an eight-goal run stretching from 5:40 of the first quarter until 6:17 of the second. Sophomore Geordie Shafer (Rancho Sante Fe, Calif.), who had one goal for the season entering Saturday, scored three times during the Jumbo run. Kirwan scored twice, and senior tri-captain Doug DiSesa (Wynnewood, Pa.) scored back-to-back goals – one while Tufts was down a man – as the Jumbos took a 10-1 lead.

Endicott regrouped and tallied four goals late in the second quarter and early in the third to pull within 11-5. Junior Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.) scored two of the goals for the Gulls. However, Tufts stemmed Endicott’s momentum by scoring six of the next seven goals to build a 17-6 advantage early in the fourth quarter. Kirwan’s four goals, including three assisted by junior Ryan Molloy (Setauket, N.Y.), highlighted that stretch.

Curtis scored his second goal of the second half and fourth of the game for the visitors at 10:18 of the fourth quarter making it 17-7, but Tufts finished with four of the final five goals for the 21-8 victory. Junior Brian Donovan (St. James, N.Y.) had a pair of the finishing goals.

Ten players scored goals for the Jumbos, who had a 55-33 advantage in shots. Molloy, with a goal and five assists, and junior D.J. Hessler (Monkton, Md.), who had two goals with four assists, tallied six points each for Tufts. Sophomore Steve Foglietta (Oceanside, N.Y.) stopped 14 of Endicott’s 22 shots on goal for an excellent .636 percentage. Junior long-stick middie Alec Bialosky (Moreland Hills, Ohio) scooped up five ground balls, senior tri-captain Mike Droesch (Setauket, N.Y.) added four ground balls to a goal and an assist, and sophomore Nick Rhoads (McLean, Va.) won 18 of 32 face-offs. The hosts came out on top in the ground-ball battle 42-36.

Senior co-captain Brad Lipkvich (Madison, Conn.) had a goal and an assist for Endicott. Junior Chris Cotter (Fairfield, Conn.) assisted on two goals. Senior co-captain Eric Hagarty (Sudbury, Mass.) recorded 13 saves and five ground balls in the Gulls’ goal.   Gulls top scoring senior Jonathan Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) had the games opening goal. Junior defenseman Robert Crossett (Katonah, N.Y.) was on the spot for five ground balls.

Heading into Wednesday, Tufts has defeated Middlebury twice this season. The Jumbos won 10-5 at Bello during the regular-season on April 24. Last Sunday (May 9), Tufts defeated Middlebury 13-12 at Bello to win its first NESCAC title. This marks the first trip to the national quarterfinals for Tufts, which improved to 2-2 in NCAA Championship play.

Prentice Photography presents Endicott Lax recap

Senior Jonathan Prentice scored the game’s final three goals to help propel the Gulls past Montclair State in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament

Box Score / NCAA Division III Tournament Bracket

MONTCLAIR, N.J. – Senior midfielder Jonathan Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) scored the final three goals, including a back-breaking man-down tally with 2:42 to play, as Endicott College rallied past Montclair State, 8-6 in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship at Sprague Field in Montclair, N.J. on Wednesday evening. The tournament win is the Gulls’ second in program history in the NCAA postseason, with the only other victory coming in 2005 against Keene State.

Junior attack Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.) added two goals and two assists as the Gulls improved to 14-7 with their sixth straight win. The victory also propelled Endicott into the second round where they will face Tufts University (16-1) on Saturday, May 15 in Medford, Mass.

So after making the 256-mile journey to New Jersey for its first-round contest, the Gulls, making their sixth appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament, will go just 22 for its next game as they take on the Jumbos for the second time this season. Endicott fell to Tufts, 14-9 in Medford back on April 20.

Senior attack Patrick Nann (Livingston, N.J.) scored a pair of goals for Montclair State, which had a pair of 14-game winning streaks snapped with the loss as the Red Hawks concluded the best season in program history at 15-4. Montclair, which was making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, lost for the first time since March 12, an 11-10 overtime loss at Eastern Connecticut. MSU also suffered its first home loss since an 8-7 double-overtime setback against Drew University on April 1, 2008. The Red Hawks earned their way into the NCAA Tournament by winning its second straight Skyline Conference title, downing Kean University, 12-8 on May 1.

In a game of runs, it was Prentice who got the final one for Endicott. After Montclair State had scored four straight to take a 6-5 lead early in the fourth quarter, Prentice answered back just over a minute later as he blistered a shot from the left side past Montclair State goalkeeper Andrew Rosado (Elmwood Park, N.J.) knotting the game with 12:29 to play. The Gulls won the ensuing face off and moved the ball around before Prentice – this time moving along the right side – bounced a shot over the shoulder of Rosado to give the Gulls the lead with 11:38 on the clock.

Each team had opportunities following that goal however Rosado and Endicott goalkeeper Eric Hagarty (Sudbury, Mass.) combined on five saves to keep the contest at a goal. Montclair State then got a break as Endicott was flagged for a penalty with 3:23 to go. But 15 seconds into the one-minute advantage, MSU turned the ball over as Kevin Downes (Cheshire, Conn.) forced the ball loose and picked up the ground ball with 3:04 left. Prentice then delivered his goal with 2:42 showing, his team-leading 39th of the season.

The Red Hawks scrambled in the final minutes getting off several shots however Hagarty came up with three saves and got a little help with 1:36 left as Matthew Prongay’s (Edison, N.J.) shot hit the post. Hagarty collected two of those saves inside the final 44 seconds and capped off his 13-save performance, intercepting a pass in the final second.

Nann scored 58 seconds into the game to give Montclair a 1-0 lead however Endicott tallied the next three goals as Curtis scored twice, the second coming with 12:46 to play in the second quarter as the Gulls held a 4-2 halftime lead. Brian Estes’ (Derry, N.H.) goal 56 second into the third period extended the lead to three, however Montclair countered with three goals to tie the game at 5-5. Mike Corsetto (Kinnelon, N.J.), Nann and Ryan Kloss (Flemington, N.J.) each had a goal in that run and Tyler Meth’s (Basking Ridge, N.J) with 13:38 left in the fourth gave Montclair the 6-5 lead.

Rosado finished with 12 saves for Montclair State, which got seven faceoff wins and two ground balls from Marc Guido (North Caldwell, N.J.). Sam Ozycz (Cheshire, Conn.) won nine faceoffs for the Gulls, who outshot Montclair State, 48-32 in the game. Chris Gugino (West Hartford, Conn.) had a team-best five ground balls while Downes added three and two caused turnovers.

Neither team could capitalize on the man-advantage in the game as they went a combined 0-for-9 with Endicott failing on seven opportunities to Montclair’s two.

Prentice Photography presents Endicott Lax recap

Endicott will enter the 2010 NCAA Tournament against Montclair State on Wednesday in Montclair, N.J.

2010 NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Bracket

BEVERLY, Mass. – The NCAA Selection Committee released the 2010 Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament bracket on Sunday evening and Endicott College has drawn an opening round matchup against Montclair State University on Wednesday in Montclair, N.J. The Red Hawks will host their first-ever NCAA men’s lacrosse tournament game in just their second appearance in the dance, while the Gulls return to the postseason for a sixth time in program history.

The Gulls, who earned a berth into the tournament by winning The Commonwealth Coast Conference, will have their hands full when they meet Montclair State on Wednesday. The Red Hawks got a bid into the field of 23 after winning the Skyline Conference championship with a 12-8 win over Kean University. The winner of the Endicott and MSU contest will travel to Medford, Mass. on Saturday to face the NESCAC champion Jumbos of Tufts University. Endicott and Tufts have met once already this season with the Jumbos taking a 14-9 win on April 20th.

The Red Hawks tout the Skyline Conference Player of the Year in Taylor Bonner (Old Bridge, N.J.), who has notched 38 goals and 16 assists. Robert Sinicola (North Caldwell, N.J.), who scored five goals in the conference title game, leads the MSU offense with 77 points on 29 goals and 48 assists. Tyler Meth (Basking Ridge, N.J.) will also be a threat, as the First Team All-Skyline honoree has a potent 41 goals in 2010.

The Commonwealth Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year Eric Hagarty (Sudbury, Mass.) will look to backstop the Blue and Green past the Red Hawks. Hagarty posted a 58.5% save percentage, making 172 saves in 20 games. Brad Lipkvich (Madison, Conn.), a TCCC First Team selection, has 34 goals in his senior campaign with seven of those tallies coming in the postseason. Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.) is the Gulls’ highest point scorer, boasting 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points. Jonathan Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) will look to showcase his team-high 36 goals in the NCAA Tournament.

Both teams will enter the national playoff with strong winning streaks intact. MSU has won 14 straight dating back to March 15th and have climbed to No. 17 in the USILA poll, the program’s first-ever national ranking. Endicott has won five in-a-row, last losing at Tufts University.

The two teams share just one common opponent, the Stevens Institute of Technology. The Ducks made the long trip to Beverly in the second game of the Gulls’ season, topping the Blue and Green by the score of 7-6. Montclair State, however, downed Stevens Tech with an impressive 8-5 win on March 20th, and then knocked off No. 19 RIT in double overtime exactly one week later, 4-3.

Endicott, in its sixth NCAA appearance, is 1-5 in tournament games with its only win coming back in 2005 when the Gulls took down LEC Champion Keene State, 11-10. Montclair is 0-1 lifetime in the NCAA Tournament, falling to Cabrini College, 17-3, last season.

Endicott captured its seventh men’s lacrosse TCCC title with an 11-6 win over New England College on Saturday

Box Score

BEVERLY, Mass. – Senior Brad Lipkvich (Madison, Conn.) and freshman Connor McCormack (Norwalk, Conn.) each tallied three goals apiece while goalkeeper Eric Hagarty (Madison, Conn.) made 14 saves as Endicott College defeated New England College, 11-6, to win the 2010 The Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship on a rain-soaked afternoon in Beverly, Mass. The conference title is the program’s sixth and its first since 2007. The Gulls now await word from the NCAA Selection Committee as to who their first round opponent will be.

A fast moving first quarter yielded just a single goal, which came off the stick of Connor McCormack 4:11 into the contest. The quick-footed attackman swept from his right to left, freezing New England College goalkeeper Nick Fischer (South Burlington, Vt.) with a hard overhand shot to give the Gulls a 1-0 lead.

The Blue and Green exploded for a four goal outpouring in the second quarter, its highest scoring frame on the day. Jonathan Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) scored on a short-side snipe, followed by a fast break man-up strike from Brendan McCarthy (Arlington, Vt.). Lipkvich scored his first of the day with 5:43 remaining before halftime after he gathered his own rebound off the post and shoveled the put-back past an outstretched Fischer to give the hosts a commanding 4-0 lead.

Brendan McCarthy tucked away a man-up goal past NEC’s Nick Fischer in Saturday’s TCCC title game

The Pilgrims got on the board 1:24 later when Matt Vozzolo (Somers, Conn.) took a feed off goal line extended from Chris Harris (Baltimore, Md.) and finally broke through Eric Hagarty with a shot to the low-right corner. The Gulls got the goal back before the intermission, however, when Colin Prescott (Norwalk, Conn.) walked out in front and stuck a bid into the upper left corner to give Endicott a 5-1 lead at the intermission.

The two sides traded goals throughout the third quarter, with each team scoring three times apiece in the frame. NEC’s Matt Carey (Medford, N.Y.) got the scoring started just 29 seconds into the third, only to have Jonathan Prentice fire back just 2:23 later. Vozzolo scored his second of the day, followed by back-to-back tallies from Connor McCormack just 54 seconds apart. John Gabriel (West Nyack, N.Y.) kept the visitors within striking distance at 8-4 heading into the fourth after he scored on an overhand shot top-shelf for the final tally of the third.

Endicott grabbed the game for good in the fourth quarter, scoring just 20 seconds into the frame on a crank shot from Lipkvich off a pass from Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.). John Gabriel responded at the 9:51 mark, only to have Chris Gugino (West Hartford, Conn.) retaliate a mere 19 seconds later with a goal of his own. Lipkvich scored again, for good measure, before the Pilgrim’s Clint McDonough (Mountain Lakes, N.J.) completed the scoring for an 11-6 final.

Both goalkeepers were stellar on Saturday, with Hagarty making 14 saves and his counterpart Nick Fischer turning in his second 20-save performance of the postseason. Fischer made 14 saves in the first half, while Hagarty played his best in the second and fourth quarters, making four saves in each frame.

Brad Lipkvich led the way with three goals and one assist, while McCormack had three goals of his own. Jonathan Prentice scored twice and Jack Curtis dished out three helpers. Three other Gulls notched single tallies in the win.

New England College got a pair of goals from both John Gabriel and Matt Vozzolo. Matt Carey had one and one while Chris Harris tallied two assists.

Endicott outshot NEC at a 46-28 clip, including 30-11 in the first half. The Gulls held a 41-32 advantage in groundballs and also won 12 of the game’s 19 face-offs.

The Blue and Green return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. The Gulls will learn their first round opponent on Sunday evening, with opening round play beginning the weekend of May 15-16.

Jonathan Prentice scored three goals to help lead Endicott back to The Commonwealth Coast Conference Finals for a seventh consecutive season

Box Score

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College erupted for five fourth quarter goals to power past Roger Williams University, 10-6, in The Commonwealth Coast Conference semifinals on Wednesday afternoon in Beverly, Mass. The win moves the Gulls into the TCCC Championship game, where they will host New England College who knocked off second-seeded Western New England, 11-10.

Endicott led 3-1 late in the second quarter before the Hawks scored two goals in the final 1:19 to knot the game at 3-all heading into the intermission. Ian Powers (Shrewsbury, Mass.) got the burst going on the man-advantage as he took a feed off goal-line extended from Drew Beck (South Salem, N.Y.) and buried a shot into the low-right corner. The Hawks got the equalizer with just eight ticks left in the frame as the visitors capitalized on an Endicott turnover and sprung Justin Leddy (Manasquan, N.J.) on a breakaway where he picked five-hole to tie the game.

The Gulls’ Chris Cotter (Fairfield, Conn.) put the hosts back up one as he drove down the right side and scored despite being tripped-up by an RWU defender at the 8:44 mark of the third. The Hawks got the goal back fewer than four minutes later off a fast-break clearing play that started with a behind the back outlet pass from goalkeeper Tyler Roebuck (Montgomery, N.Y.). Jim Tancredi (Bloomingburg, N.Y.) got the ball in transition and found Beck with an across the box pass that the freshman planted top shelf.

Brad Lipkvich (Madison, Conn.) helped send the Gulls into the fourth quarter on the right note as he scored with 3:02 remaining in the third with a hard bounce shot to the low left corner, giving Endicott a 5-4 lead after three.

Jonathan Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) made it a two-goal EC advantage just 30 seconds into the fourth after he planted a crank shot under the crossbar from 15-yards. Jim Tancredi responded for the guests just 1:32 later, this time man-down, with a change of direction tally from the left side of the box.

After the Roger Williams goal, Endicott turned it on over the course of 4:43 by finding the back of the net four-straight times to blow the game open at 10-5. Lipkvich scored to start the rally and Chris Gugino (West Hartford, Conn.) followed it up with a strike just four seconds after the face-off win with a hard shot on the run. Prentice and Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.) also scored to cement the Endicott win.

Jonathan Prentice and Brad Lipkvich each scored three times in the victory while Chris Cotter had a goal and an assist. Three other Gulls’ tallied goals while senior goalkeeper Eric Hagarty (Sudbury, Mass.) made six saves.

Roger Williams was led by Justin Leddy’s one goal and two helpers while Drew Beck had a goal and an assist. The Hawks had six different goals scorers in the losing effort. Tyler Roebuck made 12 stops on the day.

The Gulls outshot Roger Williams at a 50-29 clip and Endicott’s Sam Ozycz (Cheshire, Conn.) won 15 of the game’s 20 face-offs.

Endicott now gets set to host the TCCC Finals against New England College on Saturday afternoon. The Gulls topped the Pilgrims by the score of 15-6 in their earlier meeting back on March 20th.

Jack Curtis had six points on two goals and four assists in Endicott’s 16-4 win over UNE on Saturday in the TCCC quarterfinals

Box Score

BEVERLY, Mass. – Endicott College scored seven goals in the first quarter and led 11-2 at halftime en route to a 16-4 TCCC quarterfinal men’s lacrosse win over the visiting University of New England on Saturday afternoon in Beverly, Mass. The top-seeded Gulls, who improve to 11-7, will host Roger Williams on Wednesday after the Hawks defeated Salve Regina, 12-11, on Saturday.

Endicott opened the day by rattling off six straight goals in the opening 12:55 of the first quarter to stake an early 6-0 advantage. Jack Curtis (Chelmsford, Mass.) had it going early on, tallying a goal and three assists in the opening frame. UNE interrupted the rally when Tyler Thomas (Pleasantville, N.Y.) scored off a fast-break turnover for the Nor’easters’ lone goal of the quarter. The Gulls led 7-1 after one.

It was much of the same in the second stanza as the Blue and Green poured in four more goals while allowing just one, giving the Gulls a decisive 11-2 lead at the intermission. Freshman attacker Brian Estes (Derry, N.H.) scored on back-to-back goals in the middle of the second and Chris Cotter (Fairfield, Conn.) notched his second of the day with just 36 seconds remaining before the break. Senior goalkeeper Eric Hagarty (Sudbury, Mass.) made seven saves in total in the first half.

UNE’s Michael Woods (Kittery Point, Maine) opened the scoring in the second half just 2:02 into the third quarter as he deposited an inside shot from just outside the crease into the top right corner. The Gulls responded with a four-goal run before Woods scored again in the game’s closing minutes. The Blue and Green tacked on one final strike for good measure, this time from Harry Holden (Duxbury, Mass.), to secure the 16-4 playoff win.

Brian Estes and Connor McCormack (Norwalk, Conn.) each had three goals in the victory. Jack Curtis finished with two goals and four assists, while Jonathan Prentice (Chelmsford, Mass.) had a pair of goals. Brad Lipkvich (Madison, Conn.) scored once and added two helpers for the Blue and Green.

Michael Woods paced the Nor’easters’ offense with two tallies, while Steven Beem (Barre, Vt.) and Tyler Thomas each had a single goal. Nate Porter (Cohasset, Mass.) finished with 11 saves in the losing effort.

Endicott outshot UNE at a 49-29 clip. The Gulls won 17-of-24 faceoff attempts with Sam Ozycz (Cheshire, Conn.) going 16-for-22 at the midfield X with seven groundballs.