BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Junior Pat Wolfe (Phippsburg, Maine) scored a match-high five goals to lead top-seeded University of New England to a 12-10 victory over second-seeded Wentworth Institute of Technology in the title game of the 2013 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship Saturday (May 11) afternoon at the Big Blue Turf.
The championship is the Nor'easters' first title in program history, while both teams conclude their seasons with school-record win totals. UNE finishes at 14-5 and Wentworth closes with an 11-7 mark. Five of the Leopards' seven losses this season came by a combined six goals.
Wolfe, who was chosen Most Outstanding Player of the Game, tallied three of his five markers in the fourth quarter to help UNE fend off a furious Wentworth comeback.
Junior Dan O'Gorman (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) contributed three goals and two assists for the Nor'easters while sophomore Eddie Burke (Windsor, Conn.) scored twice. Senior Tyler Thomas (Mount Pleasant, N.Y.) had one goal and two assists to end his career as the Nor'easters' career leader in goals scored (137), assists (95) and total points (232).
Junior Chris Kipp (Scarborough, Maine) scored three times to pace the Leopards' attack. Junior Steve Glover (Marston Mills, Mass.) and sophomore Michael Cushera (Waltham, Mass.) added two goals apiece. Sophomore Dillon Lynch (Southwick, Mass.) assisted on two goals.
The first period was a tight defensive battle. Wentworth notched the lone score of the frame when Cushera found the net three minutes in.
UNE established control in the second, outscoring the Leopards 5-1 to take a three-goal advantage into halftime. Wolfe and Burke went back-to-back before Glover scored in a man-up situation for Wentworth. O'Gorman tallied consecutive goals for Big Blue, then junior Mike Allan (Billerica, Mass.) added another with 2:53 remaining.
Thomas and O'Gorman scored in the opening five minutes of the second half to push the Nor'easters' lead to 7-2. The two squads would each tally a pair of goals in the final 6:49 of the quarter to make the score 9-4 heading into the fourth.
After a Glover goal got Wentworth to within four (9-5), Wolfe scored twice in a span of 26 seconds to extend UNE's lead to 11-5 and seemingly put the game out of reach.
Wentworth came roaring back, however, cutting its deficit to two (11-9) with four straight scores. Cushera started the flurry with a goal at 8:09, which was followed by a marker from senior Sean Paradis (Pelham, N.H.). Kipp then scored twice in a span of 1:09 to cap the run and make the score 11-9 with 4:27 remaining.
The Leopards continued to press, but Wolfe scored with 0:24 left to clinch the win. Wentworth first-year Alec Paradis (Pelham, N.H.) converted just before the final horn sounded to complete the scoring for the afternoon.
First-year goalkeeper John Dusel (Wilbraham, Mass.) made 10 saves for the Nor'easters, who received five ground balls and four caused turnovers from senior Nick McMahon (Westfield, Mass.). Sophomore Shamus Higginbottom (New Milford, Conn.) matched McMahon with five ground balls.
Junior Jared Proulx (Nashua, N.H.) registered seven stops for Wentworth. First-year Tim Parlato (Needham, Mass.) and Sean Paradis had six and five ground balls, respectively. Senior Tyler Forthofer (Glastonbury, Conn.) led all players with six caused turnovers.
(Recap courtesy of UNE Sports Information)
