BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Steve Glover (Marstons Mills, Mass.) scored five goals – including scoring the go-ahead goal with 12:37 left in the fourth quarter – and assisted on three others to help pace the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team to a 12-10 win over the University of New England.
With the win the Leopards improve to 7-8 overall and finish CCC play with a 4-4 record. Wentworth will travel for a CCC Tournament opening round game on Saturday against an opponent to be determined. The Nor'Easters see their season end with a 5-12 (2-6) record.
Glover broke a six-plus minute scoring drought when he scored with 8:52 left before UNE senior Patrick Wolfe (Phippsburg, Maine) tied the score 38 seconds later. Junior Michael Cushera (Waltham, Mass.) gave the hosts a 2-1 lead with 6:51 left, however the Nor'Easters responded with a freshman Dan Auger (Nashua, N.H.) goal 1:29 later. Junior Ryan Coakley (Flemington, N.J.), who assisted on Cushera's goal, scored from Glover with 2:19 left in the quarter to give Wentworth a 3-2 edge.
The Nor'Easters scored the next two goals and took a 4-3 lead with 9:14 left as senior Nick Gross (Kennebunk, Maine) and Wolfe scored 2:25 apart. Coakley scored with 8:59 left in the half and assisted on a sophomore Nick Parent (Windham, N.H.) goal 7:13 left to give the Leopards a 5-4 lead. Coakley's assist was the 85th of his career, which sets the program record for career helpers. With 2:02 left, Wolfe tied the game at 5-all.
Senior Dan O'Gorman (Putnam Valley, N.Y.) gave UNE a 6-5 lead with his goal 34 seconds into the second half before the Leopards responded with four straight goals and took a 9-6 lead on a Glover marker with 8:49 left. Glover scored three of the four goals while senior Chris Kipp (Scarborough, Maine) had the other.
UNE battled back to score the next three goals – all coming in a span of 2:09 – to tie the game at 9-all. Freshman Andy Curro (Niskayuna, N.Y.) scored once and Gross added the next two.
Glover broke the tie with an unassisted tally 2:23 into the fourth quarter before, on a clear attempt, freshman Sean Farmer (Billerica, Mass.) carried the ball into the offensive zone and scored his first collegiate goal with 9:22 left.
Coakley scored from Glover with 5:53 left to make it a 12-9 game before Nor'Easter sophomore Sam Cloutier (Lewiston, Maine) rounded out the scoring with a goal with 4:27 left.
Coakley finished with three goals and two assists while Parent also had a multiple-point game with a goal and an assist. Parent also scooped up seven ground balls. Senior Jeff Bathalon (Harvard, Mass.) made the start between the pipes, making one save in 3:54. Classmate Jared Proulx (Nashua, N.H.) made 16 saves over the final 56:06. Proulx also picked up six ground balls.
Wolfe and Gross had three goals apiece for UNE, while Auger and Curro had a goal and an assist each and junior Jeff Bruno (Durham, Conn.) had two assists. O'Gorman and freshman Connor Leggett (Sunderland, Vt.) won nine and eight face-offs, respectively. Leggett had nine ground balls and O'Gorman eight. Cloutier caused three turnovers. Sophomore John Dusel (Wilbraham, N.H.) made 17 saves.
UNE held a 39-36 shot advantage and a 47-40 advantage on ground balls.
