Widener Men's Lacrosse Eliminates Top-Seeded Elizabethtown, 8-5, in MAC Semifinals
5/5/2010 8:07:02 PM
Widener continued its impeccable play in the Middle Atlantic Conference Tournament on the road, rallying for an 8-5 stunner at top-seeded Elizabethtown in the semifinals.
Sixth-seeded Widener (9-9), which was playing in the semifinals a 10th straight year, is in the final for the sixth consecutive season. The Pride on Saturday look for their 12th MAC title as they visit either No. 2 seed FDU-Florham or fifth-seeded Messiah at a time TBA.
Widener improved to 19-3 in this tournament and 8-1 in its last nine tournament games on the road. It is the only team to win three games in this tournament, having done so in the 2007 title campaign, and now looks to become the first with three victories on the road.
Widener opened tournament play Monday with a 14-10 first-round win at Lycoming.
The Pride grabbed momentum in the third quarter, getting three goals in less than four minutes to open a 7-4 lead with 1:29 remaining. Kevin Rider (Shamong, NJ), fellow junior Steve Cull (Havertown, PA) and junior JJ Hoeffler (Cranford, NJ) all tallied in that stretch.
The Blue Jays (12-4) got one back 44 seconds into the fourth quarter from Aaron Weber for a 7-5 contest. But Malampy restored the three-goal margin on his second tally of the game with 8:32 remaining.
Cull also scored twice with senior Dave Simcox (Ridley, PA) adding five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Freshman Bobby Schluter (Kennett Square, PA) made six saves.
Weber scored twice, Brent Campbell won 10-of-16 face-offs and Brendan Corcoran had 10 saves for the Blue Jays.
Elizabethtown got man-up goals from Weber and Jon Day to grab a 2-0 lead early in the second quarter, but Widener responded with three straight for a 3-2 halftime cushion. Sophomore Mark Kane (Morton, PA) and Malampy netted even-strength tallies with Cull adding a man-down goal.
Sophomore Ryan Shewell (Ellicott City, MD) scored 83 seconds in the second half for a 4-2 Pride lead. The Blue Jays got markers from Keith Staulters and Cory Boushell later in the period for a 4-4 tie.