Men's Lacrosse Embarrassed In America East Showdown On Seniors' Day

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. – Senior midfielder Peet Poillon scored four goals in leading nationally-ranked UMBC to a 15-7 America East Conference victory over UAlbany on Saturday, April 11 at John Fallon Field. The Retrievers, who are No. 7 in the latest USILA coaches’ poll, moved into sole possession of first place in the conference standings.

UMBC (9-2, AE 3-0) took control from the start with six unanswered goals in the first quarter. Poillon, an Ohio State transfer, connected on a sidearm bounce shot from the right point with two minutes and 14 seconds elapsed. Alex Hopmann, who had two goals and one assist, moved in from the top and scored from 12 yards out. Following a successful clear, Jamie Kimbles hit the top left corner for a 3-0 lead.

The Retrievers, who extended their winning streak to six straight, scored twice in a one-minute-and-five-second span late in the period. Poillon registered his third tally of the stanza when he deposited a ground ball from the top of the crease. Freshman Sean McKenna ended the outburst when he fired a shot from the right point past starting goalkeeper Dan McKeon.

UAlbany (6-4, AE 2-1) tried to regroup with a pair of goals to start the second quarter. Joe Resetarits, who totaled two goals and one assist, finished off a man-advantage play. Luke Cometti, a freshman midfielder, then drove from the left and canned a bounce shot into the upper left corner.

However, the Retrievers countered with four consecutive goals in a four-minute stretch. Matt Latham started that run when he spun to his left shoulder from the top of the crease. Kyle Wimer scored off a failed clear in an extra-man situation. Rob Grimm found the net off a pass from behind and Bobby Stockton moved to the middle of the field and switched to his left hand in finding the net.

The Retrievers, who have not lost in America East regular-season play since the 2007 campaign and have held 24 of 30 conference opponents to single-digit goals, held as much as a 14-4 lead early in the final period. Poillon tallied his 21st of the season with 5:55 left in the third quarter. Hopmann rifled a shot over the goalkeeper’s head off Poillon’s feed with 48 seconds gone in the final period.

“Things didn’t go our way early; we had some opportunities we didn’t capitalize on,” said UAlbany coach Scott Marr, whose team lost a one-goal decision to UMBC in last year’s conference championship final. “The ground balls tell the story. They are the kings of the conference and they took it to us.”

UMBC goalkeeper Jeremy Blevins made 10 saves. His team won 16 of 26 face-offs. UAlbany’s Corey Small, who was returning from a leg injury that kept him out of the last four games, scored twice in the second half.

“They shocked us a bit with that start,” offered UAlbany long-stick midfielder Chris Schongar, whose team allowed 34 of the UMBC’s 50 shots on the cage in the opening half. “It took awhile for us to get going. We have to keep our heads. We still have some work to do with Vermont and Stony Brook left on our conference schedule.”