Box Score
KINGS POINT, NY -- Trailing by two goals nearing the end of the third period, the United States Merchant Marine Academy Lacrosse Mariners came back for a 12-11 come-from-behind win against non-conference foe Union of the Liberty League.
Ian Callery scored a momentum swinging goal in the final minute of the third stanza to make it a one-goal (11-10) deficit heading into the final frame. After a defensive struggle ensued for the first eight minutes of the fourth, the Mariners tied it on a goal by Brendan Myers on a breakaway goal to knot the game at 11-all with seven minutes remaining.
Junior Sean Dougherty followed up that goal with the eventual game-winner with a feed from Jim Flannery with 4:31 left. A phenomenal defensive effort led by goalie John Pagano and the back line kept a tenacious Dutchmen squad off the board to preserce the win for the Mariners.
With the win, USMMA improved to 6-3 on the season, while Union fell to 1-5 on the year.
The Dutchmen drew first blood in the game's opening three minutes as
Jonathan Miller (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) found the back of the net courtesy a feed from
Tom Simmons (Salisbury, CT/Salisbury) to give Union an early 1-0 lead.
Kings Point answered with three straight on goals by Tony Buleza, Flannery and Myers to take a two-goal lead. Following a Union goal by
Bill Condon (West Hartford, CT/Conard) to pull the Dutchmen back within a score, Michale Maginnis made it a 4-2 lead for the hosts.
Union tied it with two quick goals from
Gordon Burdis (Salt Point, NY/Millbrook) and
Dan Myerow (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury), but Sean Dougherty broke the tie to reclaim the lead for Kings Point. Union scored four straight goals in the final two minutes of the first half, from Myerow,
Marc Magee (Madison, CT/Daniel Hand), Chris Collison (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) and
Dana Lasher (Norfolk, VA/King Phillip Regional). USMMA scored with 57 seconds left in the half to pull to within one at 9-8.
Miller and Simmons scored in the third quarter for Union for the 11-10 lead entering the fourth.
Flannery and Dougherty paced the Mariner attack with four points each, while Myerow had two goals and two assists and Miller had three goals. Pagano made 12 saves while Union's
Rob Oram (New Canaan, CT/New Canaan) stopped 10.
Union will play at Liberty League rival St. Lawrence Saturday at 1 p.m.
