Cougars Stunned by Lasers in Final Seconds

Worcester, MA- Sam Wilcox (Norfolk, MA) scored the game-winning goal with two seconds left in regulation, to put the Lasers on top, 7-6, in a Pilgrim League men's lacrosse tilt with Clark University, Saturday night on Granger Field.  The win snapped a six game slide for the Lasers who improve to 2-8 this  season (1-2 Pilgrim) and halted a four game win-streak for the Cougars (4-4 overall, 1-1 conference).  

The Lasers scored seven goals in the final 10:57 of the game, to erase a 4-0 fourth quarter deficit and stun the hosting Cougars.  

Chris Johnson (Amherst, MA) put Clark on the board with 4:30 off the clock in the first period.  That tally would hold the Cougars lead through the second period which was null of scoring on either side.  Shawn Roche (Centerport, NY) found the back of the Lasers net in the third period, to give the Cougars a 2-0 advantage.  

Neither side was without chances as Laser goalie Eric Walsh (Weymouth, MA) made eight saves through the first three periods and Cougar net minder Andrew DeVito (Glastonbury, CT) turned away seven Lasell attempts. 

The quiet scoreboard came alive in the final frame as the Cougars scored back-to-back man-down goals just ten second apart from Sam McAdam (Portland, ME) and Garrett McAdam (Portland, ME).  With a four goal disadvantage, senior attackman Brian Yepez (Hillsborough, NJ) set up Jon Elia (East Lyme, CT) for the Lasers first marker of the game, at 10:57.

Less than a minute later, Andy Puopolo (Duxbury, MA) fired a goal past DeVito, slicing the Cougars lead in half.  

Phil Winslow (Providence, RI) and Elia traded goals, bringing the score to 5-3, and Lasell’s Chris Bulkley (Groton, CT) brought the Lasers within one goal of the hosts with less than four minutes to go.  A breakaway by Johnson led to another Garrett McAdam goal one minute later. 

A penalty called on the Cougars led to a Bulkley extra-man goal with 2:22 remaining.  Once the teams had returned to equal strength, Puopolo struck for the game-tying goal with 1:28 left in regulation.

As time slipped off the clock, Wilcox capped the Lasers scoring with the game-winning goal, and just two seconds left to play.

The Lasers controlled the face-offs all game long, winning 15-of-17, including 11-of-12 in the decisive fourth quarter.   Anthony Erz (Hampton, NJ) produced all 15 wins at the “x” for Lasell, as well as collected 10 ground balls.

Lasell’s next game will be played on April 14th, in non-conference action against the Panthers of Plymouth State University.  Set start time is 4:00 p.m.