(FLN Note: Four teams tied at 2-4 for SSC’s final playoff slot)

Providence alum Guy Bistrow 2G/1GB/1CTO, Lake Mary alum Chase Strait 11 Saves for St Leo. Hagerty alum Christian Hofer 1G, Dwyer alum Reid Kerr 11 Saves, Jupiter alum Kurt Pelchen 2CTOs for ERAU.

via the school press releases/websites

BOX SCORE

Men’s Lacrosse Rallies Past Embry-Riddle

by George Hillen | Manager of Athletic Communications

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After rallying from a 5-1 deficit, the Saint Leo men’s lacrosse team earned a 13-12 win over Embry-Riddle in a Sunshine State Conference (SSC) matchup on Saturday afternoon.

In the closing minutes with the score knotted at 12-12, sophomore Matthew Cleary found the back of the net off a pass from classmate Greg Palmer at the 3:13-mark that helped seal the win for the Lions.

The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first until sophomore Aidan Knoetgen laced a score, assisted by Cleary as Embry-Riddle led 2-1 going into the second quarter. The Eagles extended their lead to 5-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the second frame. The Green and Gold answered to cut its deficit to 5-3 with goals from Cleary and sophomore Ben Baker. Sandwiched between a pair of Eagles’ goals was a score from Knoetgen in a man-up opportunity before senior Michael Flores and classmate Guy Bistrow blasted goals as the Lions trailed 7-6 at halftime.

To open the third quarter, Saint Leo posted three consecutive goals to claim a 9-7 advantage with Bistrow, sophomore John Raucci, and Knoetgen each registering a goal. Heading into the final quarter, the Green and Gold held a slight 10-9 edge. Both offenses went blow-for-blow as the Eagles tied the game at 12-12 until Cleary’s late game heroics gave the Lions the lead followed by the stout Lion defense held the Eagles to just one shot attempt in the last three minutes.

Knoetgen and Cleary each recorded three goals and one assist while Palmer posted two goals and two assists. Bistrow finished the game with two goals. Flores and Baker recorded one goal and one assist each while Raucci posted one score as well. At the X, Flores won 21-of-26 faceoffs and collected 16 groundballs. Palmer and sophomore James Davies recorded three groundballs each. In the net, senior Chase Strait tallied nine saves in the complete-game effort.

The Lions return to action on Wednesday, April 17 as they host Rollins in an SSC contest at 7 p.m.

*****

Eagles Lacrosse Falls to RV Saint Leo on Senior Day, 13-12

by Michael Black

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men’s lacrosse team aimed to send its senior class out in style on Saturday with visiting RV Saint Leo in town, but the Eagles (6-7, 2-4 SSC) were outlasted by the Lions (8-4, 2-4 SSC), 13-12.
 
ERAU celebrated the careers of Coleman Jacobs, Marcus Needham, Kurt Pelchen and Trevor Niedzwiecki before the game. Jacobs collected four goals – the fifth time in the last six games with at least four scores, while Needham collected two points on a goal and assist, Niedzwiecki had two ground balls in a stout defensive effort, and Pelchen added a ground ball and two caused turnovers.
 
Isaiah Hines led the Eagles on Saturday with six points on five goals and a helper. It was his seventh hat trick and fourth game with at least five goals. After Jacobs and Needham, Christian Hofer and Luke Barber also registered goals, while Pete Abbes, Giacomo Comuzzi and Joe Anderson all tallied assists in the effort. 
 
Back between the pipes was Reid Kerr, who stood stout for a game-high 11 saves in all 60 minutes of action. 
 
Both Needham and Coleman tallied the first goals of the contest, Needham early in the first and Jacobs with just over three minutes remaining. After Jacobs’ tally, the Lions scored with just five ticks left on the clock in the third to prevent a shutout quarter. 
 
With the Eagles up 2-1, two Hines’ goals sandwiched Hofer’s score to allow the Eagles to quickly go up 5-1 with just under 10 minutes to play before half. SLU, though, added two quick scores midway through the second to cut the Eagle lead to 5-3. Jacobs completed his hat trick in the second with a retaliation shot at 6:00, and added a man-up goal at 1:32 in the frame. But three late scores from SLU made it a slim 7-6 lead for the Blue & Gold at the break.
 
The Lions strung together a total of five consecutive goals between the second and third periods, however, changing the dynamic of the contest. Their last in the string of scores came at 7:37 in the third and made things a 9-7 Saint Leo advantage. 
 
Luke Barber stretched the field at 4:14, though, and brought the Eagles back within a score at 9-8. After Saint Leo scored another at 3:12, Hines came away with a clutch man-up goal with just 42 seconds left in the third to make it 10-9 in favor of the visitors.
 
Hines added his fourth of the afternoon to open up the fourth and tie everything at 10-10 making it a new game. But from there, the two sides traded goals down the stretch as SLU was able to hold off the Eagles’ attack. Hines picked up his fifth goal at 11:27, while Jacobs added his fourth at 10:24, but seven more minutes went by without any action before Saint Leo notched the eventual game winner at 3:13 to go up 13-12.
 
Up next, the Eagles head to Palm Beach Atlantic for the season finale, with a spot in the SSC postseason tournament still within reach.