CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Sophomore Harris Stolzenberg (Weston, Fla.) scored a pair of goals and assisted on four others and junior Paul Orrson (Baltimore, Md.) scored three goals to help pace the MIT men's lacrosse team to an 11-9 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon.
With the win the Engineers improve to 4-0 on the season with the Leopards suffer their first loss of the season, standing at 2-1.
The first quarter saw Wentworth take a 2-0 lead on goals from seniors Michael Cushera (Waltham, Mass.) and Dillon Lynch (Westfield, Mass.) less than three minutes apart. However, the Engineers scored the next two on markers from senior Chris Cook (Tully, N.Y.) and freshman Graham Davis (Crofton, Md.).
MIT scored the first three goals of the second quarter with freshman Mitch Turley (Westfield, Ind.), junior Chris McPherson (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Cook providing the offense. With 2:26 left, senior Ryan Coakley (Flemington, N.J.) ended the 5-0 run with a goal of his own.
Junior Nick Parent (Windham, N.H.) made it a one-goal contest with 10:48 left in the third, however the hosts got goals from Orrson and Stolzenberg to push the lead to 7-4. Cushera and Lynch scored less than a minute apart to bring the deficit back to a single goal.
Orrson would score with 46 ticks left in the third to make it 8-6 and would strike 3:09 into the fourth to increase the Engineer lead to 9-6. Cushera and Stolzenberg traded goals, making it a 10-7 contest with 5:15 left and Ryan and sophomore Mike Coakley pulled Wentworth within a single goal with 2:44 left as each scored a man-up goal. Thirty seconds after Mike Coakley's goal, freshman Graham Davis (Crofton, Md.) provided insurance for MIT, which fended off a late Leopard rally.
Cook and Davis also scored two goals for MIT. Turley and junior Eric Bartell (San Diego, Calif.) scooped up four ground balls each. Turley and sophomore Cody Jacobucci each won six face-offs.
Cushera had three goals and three assists in the loss while Ryan Coakley had two goals and two assists. Lynch chipped in with a pair of goals of his own. Freshman Adam Dufualt (Lexington, Mass.) had seven ground balls while junior Tim Parlato (Needham, Mass.) scooped up six. Sophomore Ty Trebbe (Wilbraham, Mass.) won 12 face-offs.
Bartell made 16 saves in the win while Dufault turned aside 20 shots. Wentworth had a 41-39 advantage in shots and a 35-31 edge in ground balls. Both teams were effective in man-up situations with MIT going 4-for-9 and Wentworth going 3-for-5.
Wentworth hosts Mass. Maritime on Thursday night.
