NORTHFIELD, VT – Fourth-seeded Norwich University (9-6, 6-3 GNAC) defeated #5 Saint Joseph's College (8-10, 6-3 GNAC), 9-4, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's Lacrosse Tournament quarterfinal contest on Wednesday. SJC senior attack Jonathan Horgan (Hingham, Mass.) netted three goals in the Monks' season-ending setback.
The Cadets opened the tourney tilt with a scoring flurry as the hosts held a 5-0 cushion with 9:43 remaining in the second quarter. The Monks managed to score twice leading up to intermission, as Horgan and Jake Ricciardi (Sharon, Mass.) helped cut the SJC deficit to 6-2 going into the break.
The conference counterparts swapped scores in the third quarter when Horgan netted a man-up marker off a Max Meserve (Kennebunk, Maine) pass with 3:10 left in the third stanza. Saint Joseph's would get no closer to the lead however, as Norwich outscored the Monks by a 2-1 margin in the fourth quarter en route to a 9-4 victory.
Junior goalkeeper Christopher Driscoll (Saco, Maine) recorded nine saves in the loss while first-year netminder Ethan Rettew (Ephrata, Pa.) was not tested in 1:02 of relief between the pipes.
For the Cadets, Ian Mendoza (Mount Airy, Md.) and Arron Canarelli (New Hartford, N.Y.) scored two goals apiece, Ian Thomas (Barrington, R.I.) registered a goal and two assists, Patrick Sikora (Montpelier, Vt.) chipped in with a goal and an assist, and Nate Fortezzo (Branford, Conn.) won 12 of 14 faceoff attempts. Norwich keeper Mark Paradiso (Westford, Mass.) made eight stops in the quarterfinal win.
Norwich now advances to semifinal round play Friday, April 27. The fourth-seeded Cadets will face top-seeded Lasell in Boston, Mass., with the start time to be determined at Grellier Field on Lasell's campus.
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
