Box score
SELINSGROVE, Pa. – Junior midfielder Nick Mullery (Clark, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) gave The University of Scranton men's lacrosse team the overtime victory against Susquehanna that it really wanted.
Eleven days after falling to the Crusaders in overtime in a regular season matchup, Mullery rippled the back of the net with 1:32 remaining in overtime to give the Royals a 9-8 victory in a Landmark Conference semifinal at Sassafras Field on Wednesday night.
The third-seeded Royals (10-7) will host fourth-seeded Catholic in the Landmark Conference championship on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Fitzpatrick Field. The Cardinals stunned top-seeded Elizabethtown, 11-10, on Wednesday.
Mullery's overtime heroics puts Scranton in the Landmark Conference championship for the first time since 2011, when the Royals won the title, and the third time in the conference's eight-year history.
Scranton needed overtime after second-seeded Susquehanna (12-4) scored twice in the final 6:45 of the fourth period to tie the game. But in overtime, the Royals won the faceoff and Mullery had two shots, one wide and one saved, to start the extra period. But the Crusaders were unable to clear the ball after the second shot was saved, and after junior midfielder Josh Kasman (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) scooped up the ground ball on the turnover, head coach Doug Sage called time out to set up the offense, leading to Mullery's game-winner, his third goal of the game.
The Royals also received three goals from sophomore attackman Jake Haimson (Montville, N.J./Montville), including two straight in the third period that gave Scranton a 6-5 lead. Junior midfielder Alec Mikrut (Belle Mead, N.J./Montgomery) scored the first two goals of the game, and senior attackman Anthony Lombardo (Mendham, N.J./Mendham) had two assists while Kasman added his own.
Senior goalkeeper Nicholas McKaba (Long Valley, N.J./West Morris) made eight saves, including six in the first half as Scranton took a 4-3 lead at the break.
Scranton finished a perfect 15-for-15 on clear attempts while committing just nine turnovers compared to 12 by Susquehanna. The Crusaders held a 33-30 advantage in shots.
--ROYALS--
