HENNIKER, N.H. – The New England College men's lacrosse team won 16-13 against visiting Thomas College in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at Don Melander Field in Henniker, New Hampshire.
THE BASICS
Score: Thomas 13, New England College 16
Records: Pilgrims 8-6, 4-3 GNAC | Terriers 3-9, 2-1 NAC
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The 'Grims got on the board just 45 seconds into the game when NEC senior attacker Henri Pfeifle (Darien, Conn.) busted out a move from behind the Terrier goal to beat the defense for his 45th goal of the season. Junior midfielder Daniel Varga (Hampton, N.J.) made it 2-0 with 10:47 left in the opening quarter with a move of his own for his team-leading 50th goal of the year. The Pilgrims came out of the first quarter with a 5-3 lead.
- As the rain started to fall upon the Don, the Terriers continued to stick close to the Pilgrims, answering each goal with one of their own and continuing to play plucky defense against the third-ranked offense in the GNAC. NEC senior attacker Thomas Norton (Mansfield, Mass.) scored with 2:45 left in the first half to put the 'Grims up 10-6 going into halftime, matching their largest lead of the game.
- In the third quarter the 'Grims started to pull away behind three goals from Norton, taking a 15-9 lead into the final stanza.
- In the fourth, Thomas got back in the game with goals from junior midfielder Jack Morrill (Winthrop, Maine) and first year attacker Owen Lyons (Manchester, Maine), pulling the Terriers to within four. With 5:10 to go, Lyons scored on a breakaway, pulling them to within three at 15-12. With 3:58 to go, Lyons caused a turnover in the NEC back field, recovered the ground ball and fired for his fifth goal of the game, cutting the Pilgrim lead to two.
- With the game on the line, the 'Grims turned to Varga to reclaim momentum, as the junior-transfer standout took a pass from Norton and shot it home with 2:38 remaining. The host escaped with the win.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- NEC sophomore goalkeeper Nate Finn (Norwood, Mass.) tallied nine saves on the day for the Pilgrims.
- Thomas graduate Daniel Guarino (Wakefield, Mass.) finished with eleven stops for the Terriers.
- Norton led the 'Grims with a season-high seven goals. The senior has been a revelation for the past two games, totaling 13 goals in that stretch after scoring 13 in the previous eleven games.
- Pfeifle amassed seven goals with one assist on the day.
- Lyons led the Terriers with five goals while Morrill added three to go along with a game-high eleven ground balls.
- NEC sophomore midfielder Matt O'Rourke (Concord, N.H.) led the Pilgrims with seven ground balls.
UP NEXT
- NEC is back on the field on Thursday when they host Lasell University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action, that starting at 4:00 p.m.
- Thomas travels to Husson for their next game, that coming on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.
