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Photo gallery (courtesey of Dan Ceccacci)
SCRANTON, Pa.—The University of Scranton men’s lacrosse team ran into a hot goalkeeper Saturday afternoon against Catholic University in the championship game of the Landmark Conference tournament at Fitzpatrick Field.
Junior Harrison Holak (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) made 19 saves to lead the Cardinals to a heart-stopping 5-4 victory. With the win, Catholic captures its first Landmark title and becomes the first team in conference history to capture a title in men’s lacrosse as a number four seed. For his efforts, Holak was named the tournament’s most valuable player (MVP).
Catholic, which overcame an 8-2 deficit to topple top-seeded Elizabethtown, 11-10, in Wednesday’s semifinals, received two goals and an assist from sophomore attackman Tim Keith (King of Prussia, Pa./Lower Merion), two goals from sophomore midfielderVictor Licata (Towson, Md./Loyola-Blakesfield), and a goal from freshman midfielderLiam Clancy (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield).
Scranton, which led 3-2 at intermission, received a goal and an assist from junior midfielder Alec Mikrut (Belle Mead, NJ/Montgomery) and a goal apiece from junior midfielder Nick Mullery (Clark, NJ/Arthur L. Johnson), junior attackman Andrew Marone (Morristown, NJ/Seton Hall Preparatory), and senior midfielder Will Mahle (Montgomery, NJ/Montgomery). With the loss, the Royals end the season with a 10-8 record.
In the final minute, the Royals came within a whisker of sending the game into overtime. After the Cardinals turned it over near midfield, Mullery came up with the ground ball and found senior attackman Anthony Lombardo (Mendham, NJ/Mendham) open on the perimeter. Lombardo drilled a shot that hit the post with six seconds remaining and Cardinal defender Coleman Walsh III (Portland, Maine/Cheverus) came up with the ground ball as the final buzzer sounded.
The Cardinals picked up momentum early in the third period when Keith and Vicata scored unassisted goals within a minute of each other to erase Scranton’s 1-goal halftime lead. Scranton tied for the final time with 13:51 left in the fourth period on Mahle’s goal that was set up by Mikrut before Licata scored three minutes later for what turned out to be the game winner.
The Royals out-shot the Cardinals, 41-22, held a 38-29 advantage in ground balls, and won 10 of the 13 face-offs, but were continually frustrated by Holak, who made 10 of his 19 saves in the second half. Scranton junior goalkeeper Nicholas McKaba (Long Valley, NJ/West Morris) made saves.
Of Scranton eight losses this year, six were decided by one goal and another by two goals.
--ROYALS--
