Fourth Quarter Rally Lifts Roger Williams Past Men's Lacrosse

BRISTOL, R.I. – Scoring four times in a span of 3:07 late in the contest, the Roger Williams University men's lacrosse team erased a 7-5 deficit and defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology, 9-7, in Commonwealth Coast Conference play Wednesday afternoon.

With the win the Hawks improve to 10-2 overall and 3-0 in league play while the Leopards slip to 8-4 (1-2).

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Less than two minutes after Roger Williams scored the game's first goal, Wentworth tied it up on a goal off the stick of freshman Brendan Kroll (Wakefield, R.I.). The Hawks tallied a pair of goals in a span of 1:59 to claim a 3-1 lead, however, on the ensuing faceoff after the hosts' third goal, Leopard senior Connor Charron (North Andover, Mass.) won the draw and went in for a goal, starting a 3-0 run that saw the Black & Gold score three times in a 1:39 span with sophomore Tyler Longo (Kingston, N.Y.) adding the other two goals. Roger Williams scored a man-down goal late in the frame to tie the game, 4-all.
• Just 36 seconds into the second quarter, the Hawks reclaimed the lead, however, goals from junior Jared Hiller (North Andover, Mass.) and Kroll gave Wentworth a 6-5 lead at the half. Junior Kobi Buffa (Craryville, N.Y.) provided the only offense of the third quarter, scoring with 2:56 left to make it a 7-5 game.
• Wentworth held the Hawks in check for most of the fourth quarter. However, a failed clear led to Roger Williams pulling within one with 5:09 left and, after a turnover after a faceoff win, the hosts tied the game with 4:32 left.
• The Hawks won the faceoff after tying the game and found the back of the net just over a minute later to take an 8-7 lead. After Roger Williams took a 9-7 lead with 2:02 left, Charron won the draw and a pair of penalties put the Black & Gold in a man-up situation. The teams traded turnovers late, resulting in Wentworth possessing the ball with 20 seconds left. Longo put a shot on net that was saved, which enabled the hosts to hold on for the win.
• Longo and Kroll paced Wentworth's offense with two goals and an assist each. Charron was 13-of-20 at the X and scooped up nine ground balls. Junior Tom Gardner (West Windsor, N.J.) made 13 saves and picked up six ground balls.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today was the 39th all-time meeting between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth is at the University of Hartford on Tuesday.

For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on "X," Facebook and Instagram.