Gregitis Does It Again, Scores Game Winner In OT As Royals Down King's, 10-9, Wednesday Afternoon


John Gregitis	Anthony Lombardo	Matt Finor

Conor Beers	Ryan Mygatt	Will Mahle

Box Score

WILKES-BARRE TOWNSHIP, Pa.—Senior midfielder John Gregitis (Wayne, Pa./St. Joseph’s Preparatory) scored his second straight game-winning goal, this time with 1:38 remaining in overtime to lead The University of Scranton men’s lacrosse team to a 10-9 victory over King’s College in non-conference action Wednesday afternoon.

Fresh off Friday’s 5-4 win over Catholic University when he scored the game-winning goal with 3.6 remaining, Gregitis finished with three goals today as the Royals won their third straight game to improve to 5-2.

Scranton also received three goals from junior attacker Anthony Lombardo (Mendham, NJ/Mendham), two goals and two assists from freshman attacker Ryan Mygatt (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan), and two goals from junior attacker Will Mahle (Montgomery, NJ/Montgomery).

King’s, which fell to 4-3, was led by senior attacker Kieran McMahon (Lindenhurst, NY/Lindenhurst) with three goals and an assist and senior attacker Mike O’Brien (Endwell, NY/Seton Catholic) with two goals and three assists.

The Royals may have developed a false sense of security, building up a 7-3 halftime lead behind two goals apiece from Mygatt, Lombaro, and Mahle. Scranton dominated the Monarchs in the first half, out-shooting them, 18-7, and winning 11 of the 12 face-offs.

Unfortunately, that momentum didn’t carry over into the second half.

The Monarchs dominated the third period, scoring three straight goals—one each by McMahon, O’Brien and Jeff Anclien (Flemington, NJ/Immaculate)—that kick-started a 6-1 rally that propelled King’s to a 9-8 lead with 13:20 left in the fourth quarter.

Gregitis tied it up with 8:15 left on a play set up by senior Matt Tibbitts (West Hartford, Conn./Conard), who had an opportunity on Scranton’s final possession to win the game in regulation, but his shot attempt was wide of the mark.

Junior Matt Finor (Churchville, Pa./Council Rock South), who won 17 of 21 face-off attempts, won the face-off to open the extra stanza and Lombardo came up with a crucial ground ball after Tibbetts’s shot attempt was stopped by Monarch sophomore goalkeeper Derek Bowman (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin). Nearly two minutes later, Gregitis scored his team-leading and career-best 12th goal of the season after receiving a pass from Mygatt.

Bowman steadied the ship for King’s, allowing only three goals and making seven saves over the final 41 minutes of play after relieving starter Brendan McCrudden (Putnam Valley, NY/Putnam Valley) early in the second period. Scranton freshman Conor Beers (Woolwich Township, NJ/Kingsway Regional) made his first career start and stopped six shots to earn the victory.

King’s held a slight edge in shots, 29-28, but the Royals countered by winning 18 of 23 face-offs and picking up five more ground balls, 29-24.

Today’s game was the first meeting between Scranton and King’s since 2007. The Royals now lead the all-time series, 8-2.

Scranton, which has been involved in three one-goal games this year, will return home to host SUNY Plattsburgh this Saturday, March 22, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Fitzpatrick Field. Admission is free. Live stats will be also provided at the following web address: http://livestats.prestosports.com/scranton/