MOUNT IDA MEN’S LACROSSE

Saturday, March 31, 2018

SJC Athletics Complex, Standish, Maine

FINAL:              MOUNT IDA 7, SAINT JOSEPH’S (MAINE) 5

STANDISH, Maine --  Junior Kyle Ton (Norwich, Conn.) scored a pair of goals to back a 20-save effort in net from senior Cam Hayward (Derry, N.H.) as Mount Ida notched a 7-5 Great Northeast Athletic Conference men’s lacrosse victory over Saint Joseph’s (Maine) Saturday afternoon at the SJC Athletics Complex.

The visiting Mustangs (3-6, 2-0 GNAC) overcame a 3-1 first quarter deficit by tallying four unanswered goals in the second stanza, including man-up markers by Ton and junior Matt Curran (Abington, Mass.), to take a 5-3 advantage at the break.  The host Monks (4-6, 0-2 GNAC) closed back to within one on junior Michael Finn’s (Quincy, Mass.) man-up goal midway through the third quarter, but tallies by Ton and freshman Roman Dennis (Lewiston, Maine) in the opening 6:27 of the fourth frame provided a three-goal cushion for Mount Ida in the closing minutes, as Saint Joseph’s got back to within the final margin on senior Matt Donnell’s (Watertown, Mass.) man-up goal with just over six minutes remaining but could get no closer.

Junior Dylan DiLena (Barre, Vt.), sophomore Dakari Eason (Norwalk, Conn.) and freshman Mike Alibrandi (Holliston, Mass.) added goals as well in the win for the Mustangs, who received assists from seniors Joe Gengarelly (Sag Harbor, N.Y.) and Marcus Donahue (Braintree, Mass.).  Finn and freshman Shane Puleo (Nashua, N.H.) each collected a marker and helper in the setback for the Monks, who received goals from junior Tyler Retalic (Framingham, Mass.) and freshman Glenn Dion (Pembroke, N.H.) along with an assist off the stick of junior Raymond Emery (Abington, Mass.).

Hayward made 14 of his stops in the final 30 minutes of action to pick up his third win of the season in goal for Mount Ida, as his saves total was one off his career-high effort last spring against Norwich.  Senior Connor Trainor (Franklin, Mass.) made 10 stops in the setback for Saint Joseph’s, as the Monks outshot the Mustangs by a 50-33 margin overall (25-17 on goal) and held a 9-6 edge in face-off wins for the contest.  The victory enabled Mount Ida to remain perfect in 11 all-time series meetings with Saint Joseph’s that date back to 2009.

Mount Ida hosts Rivier in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference outing on Wednesday evening at Alumni Field beginning at 7:00 p.m., while Saint Joseph’s entertains Emmanuel in a GNAC clash on Wednesday evening at the SJC Athletics Complex that also begins at 7:00 p.m.

(Photo Credit:  Karen Zito)