ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE
Wednesday, March 6, 2002

19th-Ranked Marymount Scrapes Past Blue Jays, 11-8, in First Men's Lacrosse Game in Etown History

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown's men's lacrosse team picked a formidable opponent against which to play the first game in its history, but the Blue Jays stuck right with Marymount, ranked 19th in the nation in the latest United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) poll. In the end, though, Marymount emerged on top in a close 11-8 game.

The game was not an easy one for Marymount, which improved to 2-1 with the win and faced its first unranked opponent of the season in a green Blue Jay team. The teams took a 4-4 tie into the end of the first quarter. Elizabethtown took a 5-4 lead with 4:53 remaining in the first half on an unassisted goal by Ryan Smetana (Conowingo, MD/John Carroll). Marymount returned fire with an extra-man goal by Tim Lebsock (Gaithersburg, MD/Northwest) at 1:29 to send the game into halftime at a 5-5 standstill.

A pair of goals by Marymount with 9:17 and 8:58 left in the third quarter gave the Saints a 7-5 lead, but Etown struck back with an extra man goal by Allen Churchman (Aston, PA/Garnet Valley) that was assisted by Sean Thomson (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) at 6:50. Churchman struck again, this time on an assist by Adam Whitaker (Havertown, PA/Haverford) at 5:41 to even the score at 7-7. The stalemate was short lived, though, as Marymount's Brandon Sallee (Westchester, OH/Moeller) scored just 31 seconds later to give the Saints an 8-7 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Marymount scored again at 8:18 and 2:53 remaining in the fourth quarter to go up 10-7, but the Blue Jays struck back with an unassisted extra man goal by Churchman, his fourth goal of the game, with 1:42 remaining. A goal at 1:13 by Marymount's Jim Hoagland (Blue Bell, PA/LaSalle Prep.) put the game away.

Churchman led Etown with four goals scored. Matt Newell (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) scored a pair of goals, and Smetana had one goal and one assist. Thomson scored one goal and had three assists for the Blue Jays, and Whitaker posted one assist.

Etown goalie Chris Swierczek (Media, PA/Penncrest) played the first half and made 13 saves, while Brian Burke (Upper Darby, PA/Haverford) played the second half and had nine saves. The Blue Jays made good use of their extra man opportunities, scoring three goals on five Marymount penalties. Marymount had just one extra man goal on five Etown penalties.

Elizabethtown will return to action at home Wednesday, March 13 against Misericordia. Game time is 3:30 p.m.

At Elizabethtown, Pa.
Marymount 11, Elizabethtown 8
#19 Marymount (2-1) 4 1 3 3 — 11
Elizabethtown (0-1) 4 1 2 1 — 8

First Quarter Scoring:
MU—Joe Smilari, 14:17
EC—Matt Newell (Sean Thomson), 13:39
MU—Brandon Sallee, 11:34
MU—Sallee, 9:19
MU—Ryan Spielman (Drew Kiniry), 7:05
EC—Thomson, 6:48
EC—Newell (Thomson), 6:08
EC—Allen Churchman (Ryan Smetana), 2:48 [extra man]

Second Quarter Scoring:
EC—Smetana, 4:53
MU—Tim Lebsock, 1:29 [extra man]

Third Quarter Scoring:
MU—Steve Leckrone, 9:17
MU—Kiniry (Sallee), 8:58
EC—Churchman (Thomson), 6:50 [extra man]
EC—Churchman (Adam Whitaker), 5:41
MU—Sallee, 5:10

Fourth Quarter Scoring:
MU—Sallee (Joe Adams), 8:18
MU—Bob Rhatigan, 2:53
EC—Thomson, 1:42 [extra man]
MU—Lebsock, 1:13

Shots: MU 29, EC 28. Ground Balls: MU 28, EC 49. Clears: MU 20, EC 24. Face Offs Won: MU 11, EC 11. Penalties: MU 5, EC 5. Extra Man Goals: MU 1, EC 3. Goalie Saves: Justin Epstein (MU) 7, Chris Swierczek (EC) 13, Brian Burke (EC) 9.