ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE
Saturday, April 29, 2006

Elizabethtown Clinches MAC Playoff Berth with 10-6 Win over Moravian

BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- Elizabethtown clinched a Middle Atlantic Conference playoff berth for the third year in a row Saturday as the Blue Jays defeated Moravian College 10-6 on the road in the final game of the regular season. Elizabethtown, which has now won its last four games in a row after beginning the season 2-9, improves to 6-9 overall and 6-4 in the MAC with the victory. Moravian ends its season with a 4-12 overall mark and a 2-8 record in the MAC.

Etown and Moravian were tied 1-1 at the end of the first quarter, and the Blue Jays held a 4-3 advantage going into halftime. Elizabethtown extended its lead to 6-4 by the end of the third quarter, and the Blue Jays out-scored Moravian 4-2 in the fourth quarter.

Tom Welch (West Chester, PA/West Chester East) led Elizabethtown in goals with three, and he led Etown in assists with two. Jeff Cowan (Drexel Hill, PA/Upper Darby) scored one goal and had one assist for Etown. Frankie Puzzangara (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) scored a pair of goals. Chris Harrison (Newark, DE/Salesianum) scored one goal and assisted another for Etown, as did Matt Seiboth (Havertown, PA/Haverford). Gary Senese (West Chester, PA/ Tatnall School, DE) added one goal as well. Puzzangara led Etown in ground balls with nine and won 16 out of 18 face-offs he took, and defenseman Eric Peifer (Lancaster, PA/Hempfield) scooped up five ground balls. Etown goalie Chris Schuch (Columbia, PA/Hempfield) made 12 saves and had three ground balls.

T.J. Hersch, Brian Cleaver and Jason Tosches each scored two goals for Moravian, and David Poppe led the Greyhounds in ground balls with nine. Moravian goalie Benjamin Larson made 18 saves and had five ground balls as Etown out-shot the Greyhounds 44-26.

Elizabethtown will return to action in the first round of the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs Monday, May 1. Elizabethtown’s seeding, and whether the Blue Jays will host their Monday game or travel to it, depend upon the outcome of tonight’s game between Drew and Susquehanna.

At Bethlehem, Pa.
Elizabethtown 10, Moravian 6
Score by period       1 2 3 4   Tot
-------------------------------------
Elizabethtown Coll... 1 3 2 4 - 10
Moravian College .... 1 2 1 2 - 6

Elizabethtown Coll. SCORING: GOALS: Tom Welch 3; Frankie Puzzangara 2; Jeff Cowan 1; Andrew Wagner 1; Matt Seiboth 1; Chris Harrison 1; Gary Senese 1. ASSISTS: Tom Welch 2; Jeff Cowan 1; Chris Harrison 1; Frankie Puzzangara 1; Matt Seiboth 1; Andrew Wagner 1.

Moravian College SCORING: GOALS: T.J. Hirsch 2; Brian Cleaver 2; Jason Tosches 2. ASSISTS: Ken Blom 2; Keith Danner 1; Bradley McVaugh 1.

Elizabethtown Coll. GROUND BALLS: Frankie Puzzangara 9; Eric Peifer 5; Frank Cacia 4; Chris Schuch 3; Chris Harrison 2; Andrew Wagner 2; Brad Whitcomb 2; Jeff Cowan 1; Jeff Long 1; Mike Ruby 1; Matt Seiboth 1; Drew Ward 1.

Moravian College GROUND BALLS: David Poppe 9; T.J. Hirsch 5; Benjamin Larson 5; Brian Cleaver 2; Bradley McVaugh 2; Ken Blom 1; Tristan Flis 1; Kyle Gardner 1; Adam Melroy 1; Brian Reckenbeil 1; Jason Tosches 1.

SHOTS - ETOWN 44; MOR 26.
PENALTIES - ETOWN 7/5:30; MOR 9/7:30.
MAN-UP OPPORTUNITIES - ETOWN 4-9; MOR 0-7.
FACEOFFS - ETOWN 16-19; MOR 3-19.
CLEARS - ETOWN 21-23; MOR 20-29.

GOALIES - ETOWN: Chris Schuch 9-5 (60:00 minutes, 18 shots-12 saves, 6 GA); MOR: Benjamin Larson 3-10 (60:00, 28-18, 10).