MIDDLETOWN, R.I. – Sophomore Jason Buck (Manlius, N.Y.) scored with 1:28 remaining in overtime to lift the Wentworth Institute of Technology men's lacrosse team to a 6-5 win over Salve Regina in a Commonwealth Coast Conference contest Saturday afternoon. The win was the first in nine tries for the Leopards over the Seahawks, having last won in a 9-8 battle on March 29, 2008.
With the win the Leopards improve to 5-2 (1-0) on the season while the Seahawks fall to 4-4 after suffering their fourth straight loss. The five wins for the Black & Gold surpass the 2016 total of four.
Buck's heroics came after the hosts battled back from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game with 1:54 remaining in regulation.
A defensive battle between the two teams yielded no goals through the first 15 minutes of play while the teams combined for 17 shots through the first frame.
Wentworth took a 1-0 lead just 37 seconds into the second quarter on a freshman Kyle Doner (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) goal, which was assisted by Buck. Salve Regina scored a pair of goals in a span of 5:22 to take a 2-1 lead as freshman Joe Madden (East Greenwich, R.I.) and senior Nick LoCicero (Lynbrook, N.Y.) scored.
The Leopards scored the third quarter's only goals as senior Sean Farmer (Billerica, Mass.) and junior Kevin Butler (Jefferson, Mass.) gave the Black & Gold a 3-2 lead.
Farmer scored a man-down goal 35 seconds into the fourth quarter and just under two minutes later, Butler assisted on a sophomore Spencer Allen (New Boston, N.H.) goal to make it 5-2 with 12:28 left.
Salve Regina began its run with a man-up goal off the stick of junior Zach Makoske (Shoreham, N.Y.) with 10:29 remaining. The Seahawks pulled within a goal with 6:27 left when LoCicero scored and would tie the game with 1:54 left on a freshman Ethan Robson (Lincoln, R.I.) goal. Robson and Makoske had chances to give Salve Regina a lead near the end of regulation, however junior Adam Dufault (Lexington, Mass.) came up with a save and the second shot went wide.
In a man-up situation early in the overtime period, the Seahawks nearly won it, however Dufault came up with a big save. Off the clear the Leopards called a time out to set up a play and Buck would tally the game winner from in front.
Farmer finished with two goals while Butler and Buck each had a goal and an assist. Freshman Jake Berry (Beverly, Mass.), senior Brody Stevens (Merrimack, N.H.), senior Eric Iacaboni (Sterling, Mass.), and sophomore Sean Brennan (Stony Point, N.Y.) each caused two turnovers.
Wentworth had slight edges in shots (35-34) and ground balls (13-12). Saturday's game marked the second straight meeting and fourth time in the last six meetings these two teams have needed overtime to decide a winner.
The Leopards host Nichols on Tuesday night.
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