After a low scoring first half in which the Stony Brook Men’s Lacrosse team found itself chasing the Fairfield Stags, a five-goal third quarter kick started a Seawolves rally that led to a 9-6 win in Connecticut this Saturday.
Junior midfielder Alex Corpolongo was the first player to find the back of the net early on, but the rest of the first quarter belonged to Fairfield, which took advantage of stellar play from junior goalie Tyler Behring.
The Stags responded to the Seawolves’ opening goal with four of their own, two of which came off the stick of Fairfield senior midfielder TJ Neubauer.
Stony Brook, despite attempting more shots than Fairfield in the first half, went on a quarter-long scoring drought.
Senior attackman Matt Schultz broke the offensive snag with 12:28 left in the second after burying his first of two goals on the afternoon. Neither team scored for the rest of the quarter, and Stony Brook headed into intermission behind 4-2.
The Seawolves chipped away at the Stags’ lead while entering the second half, eventually coming within one and facing a 5-4 deficit.
Goals from attackmen junior attackman Ryan Bitzer and senior attackman Brody Eastwood that fell just 14 seconds apart gave Stony Brook a lead they would not relinquish and triggered a 4-0 run.
Scoring specialist Eastwood was held in check for a third consecutive game. With his production limited to one goal on four shots, nine other Seawolves recorded at least one point.
Sophomore goaltender Brandon Maciejewski, after replacing senior Zach Oliveri in the second half, notched his first win on the year, giving him a 6-1 career record.
Corpolongo, Bitzer and Schultz each tallied two goals. Corpolongo, who recorded his fourth straight multiple-goal game, now leads the Stony Brook squad with 11 goals.
Freshman Justin Pugal, a midfielder hailing from Manorville, Long Island, scored his first collegiate goal in the fourth quarter.
Senior midfielder Challen Rogers dished out two assists, giving him a team-leading ten on the season.
The Seawolves face their second ranked opponent this season–No. 16 Rutgers–at home on Friday, March 11.
