ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE
Saturday, April 26, 2003

Etown Falls to FDU-Florham 8-4, Blue Jays Conclude Sophomore Campaign 7-7 Overall, Devils Clinch Playoff Berth

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- In a game with wide-ranging Middle Atlantic Conference playoff implications, Elizabethtown fell at home to FDU-Florham 8-4 Saturday afternoon. Elizabethtown, which closes out just its second season of existence with a 7-7 overall and 5-4 MAC record with the loss, came tantalizingly close to securing a playoff berth but instead finished fifth in the ten-team conference. FDU-Florham clinched a place among the conference's top four teams, and with it a trip to the playoffs, by improving to 8-6 overall and 7-2 in the MAC with the win.

Almost ten minutes passed after the start of the highly defensive-oriented game before the first goal was scored. Etown defender Chris McCrea (Broomall, PA/Marple Newtown) scored the opening goal unassisted with 5:33 left in the first quarter. It was just the second goal of McCrea's career, and only the second time in Elizabethtown program history that a defender scored a goal.

It was not until 1:13 into the second quarter that FDU-Florham got on the board, when Ed Flood (Port Jefferson Station, NY/Comsewogue) scored on an assist from Chris Fieger (Bethpage, NY/Bethpage). Etown struck back just 62 seconds later when Dave Eshleman (Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township) wheeled around from behind the net and scored to give the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead. Clayton Zug (West Chester, PA/West Chester) scored unassisted for FDU-Florham with 5:40 remaining in the second quarter to tie the game at 2-2, which is where the score remained by the conclusion of the first half.

FDU-Florham's offense broke out to score four unassisted goals in the third quarter, with John Damiani (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) scoring with 14:09 remaining, Zug netting his second goal with 10:10 remaining, Flood scoring his second goal with 7:35 remaining, and Damiani scoring again with 4:04 left in the quarter.

FDU-Florham went up 7-2 with 10:21 remaining in the fourth quarter when Brad Roberts (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) scored on a Bobby Gorcica (Fairfield, NJ/West Essex) assist. Etown's Bryan Miller (West Chester, PA/Henderson) scored unassisted with 9:37 left to narrow the gap to 7-3, but Flood scored his third goal of the game on another Fieger assist at 8:44 to put the Devils up 8-3. Miller scored the game's final goal, again unassisted, for Etown with 6:01 remaining to cut FDU-Forham's lead to 8-4.

FDU-Florham held a 38-25 advantage in shots, and Elizabethtown goaltender Chris Swierczek (Media, PA/Penncrest) made 16 saves in the Blue Jay net. FDU-Florham goalie John Apple (Cambridge, MD/Stephen Decatur) made five saves.

Elizabethtown possessed a 46-36 advantage in ground balls, and McCrea led the Blue Jays by scooping up nine. Elizabethtown successfully cleared the ball on 30 of 38 attempts, while FDU-Florham successfully completed 26 of 32 clear attempts. Neither team scored on an extra man attempt, and FDU-Florham held a 10-4 advantage in face-offs.

at Elizabethtown, Pa.
FDU-Florham 8, Elizabethtown 4
FDU-Florham (8-6, 7-2)   0 2 4 2 -- 8
Elizabethtown (7-7, 5-4) 1 1 0 2 -- 4

FDU-Florham goals-assists: Ed Flood 3-0, Clayton Zug 2-0, John Damiani 2-0, Brad Roberts 1-0, Chris Fieger 0-2, Bobby Gorcicia 0-1.

Etown goals-assists: Bryan Miller 2-0, Chris McCrea 1-0, Dave Eshleman 1-0.

Shots: F 38, E 26. Ground Balls: F 36, E 46. Face-Offs Won: F 10, E 4. Goalie Saves: John Apple (F) 5, Chris Swierczek (E) 16.