BOX SCORE
Hempstead, N.Y. – The University of Hartford men's lacrosse team scored its first victory of 2010 in a 13-11 defeat over Siena on Saturday afternoon at Shuart Stadium.
Six different players scored for the Hawks who dominated the Saints in nearly every category en route to their first win. The 13 goals were a season-high for Hartford, who outshot Siena 38-32. Sophomore Aidan Genik and rookies Rory Nunamacher and Jared Franze combined for 10 goals and 12 points on the day while sophomore Scott Bement picked up the win in goal.
Sophomore Carter Bender and classmate Ryan Compitello each contributed a pair of assists, extending their scoring streaks to 16 and 15 games, respectively.
Dann Martinsen and Shaun Dunn led the Saints' offense with three goals apiece. Martinsen also contributed with an assist totaling a team-best four points. Siena finished 15-for-19 in clears and scored a pair of man-up goals.
Siena jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and didn't trail in the contest until the 3:26 mark of the third period. Hartford chipped away at the Saints' commanding lead to take its first of the game, a 9-8 advantage. The Hawks outscored the Saints in the second and third quarters by a margin of 10-4, and buckled down defensively allowing just six Siena goals over the final three stanzas.
Franze put the Hawks on the scoreboard with 1:42 remaining in the first, however the Saints responded with a score of their own to take a 5-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Hawks' offense opened the second quarter on a hot streak, reeling off four-straight goals in a span of five minutes to knot the score at five goals apiece. Genik opened the stanza with back-to-back scores, while Nunamacher and Kyle Goodchild found the back of the net, tying the game for the first time since the opening face-off. Hartford and Siena traded goals before Martinsen connected on a feed from John Rogener with just over one minute remaining in the second to send the Saints into the locker rooms with a one goal, 7-6 advantage.
Siena doubled its lead to 8-6 when Chris D'Alberti netted his fourth goal of 2010 just over two minutes into the third quarter. Down a man, Hartford responded at 9:01 as Nunamacher found the back of the net for his final goal of the contest. Genik tied the score at 8-8 on his third goal of the night off a feed from senior Justin Bearse before Franze and Siena's Kyle Curry exchanged goals to even the score at 9-9.
Compitello's second goal of the season put the Hawks up for good at 10-9, while Ben Knapton's score with 33 seconds remaining in the third boosted Hartford's lead to 11-9. Franze and Genik each tacked on insurance goals to open the final quarter, capping a four-goal run over a span of 3:21.
In the final stanza, Siena managed to put a pair of goals on the scoreboard but could not mount a comeback of their own. Hartford's defense kept the Saints' sticks silent for the remaining 6:14 of the contest.
Bement finished with six saves while recording his first win of 2010. Junior Tim Fallon also had a strong game for the Hawks, winning 17 of 27 face-offs while scooping up a game-best nine ground balls. For the third consecutive game, Hartford has won the battle at the face-off X.
The Hawks returns to action on Wednesday, March 10 when they travel to Providence, R.I. for a mid-day match-up with the Brown Bears. Game time is slated for 3:00 p.m.
