CANTON, N.Y. – Sophomore
Kieran McGovern scored three goals, including the game-winner 1:55 into overtime as the #17 Union College men's lacrosse team remained unbeaten in Liberty League play with a come-from-behind 12-11 (OT) victory over #18 St. Lawrence University on Saturday afternoon at North Country Field.
The win is a massive one for Union (10-1, 5-0 Liberty League), which keeps pace with RIT as the only unbeaten teams remaining in conference play with three games left in the regular season.
McGovern came up huge for Union, matching sophomores
Hayden Frey and
Keaton McCann for the team lead in goals on the day. Frey added an assist for a team-leading four points, while junior
Michael Sands added two goals as well.
The reigning Liberty League Defensive Player of the Week, senior
Alex Newhouse, started overtime with a big faceoff win and never allowed the Saints to touch the ball in the extra session. Junior
Josh Willis grabbed the subsequent ground ball and fired a shot high, but the Dutchmen regained possession and McGovern netted an unassisted tally to clinch the victory, the fifth in a row for Union.
After not trailing for much of the first three quarters, the fourth frame was a dogfight for the Dutchmen. St. Lawrence (10-2, 4-2 Liberty League) scored two goals to take the lead, but junior
Kerry Lyne scored with 6:53 to go to tie the score at 10. The home team took the lead again with 3:56 left and had the ball with a chance to increase its lead, but senior
Jack Santilli made a huge save and Union brought the ball down the field for a McCann tally with 2:30 remaining to again knot the score at 11, setting the stage for overtime.
Santilli finished the afternoon with 11 saves in 60:55 of action, as Union outshot St. Lawrence by a 40-36 margin. Newhouse won 13-of-20 faceoffs and led all players with seven ground balls.
Union has another nationally ranked test ahead of them on Wednesday, as the Dutchmen take the short trip to Troy to battle with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute beginning at 6 p.m.
