ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S LACROSSE
Thursday, May 3, 2007

Widener Nips Elizabethtown 9-5 in Middle Atlantic Conference Semifinals on Fourth Quarter Run

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College was eliminated in the semifinal round of the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs Thursday with a 9-5 home loss to Widener University. Etown was seeded second in the playoffs, while Widener was the number three seed. Etown wraps up its 2007 season 10-5 overall – its best single-season record in the six-year history of the program – with the loss, while Widener improves to 11-5 with the win and advances to face top-seeded Messiah College on the road Saturday in the conference title game.

The teams were tied 5-5 entering the fourth quarter, and Widener’s Gavin Goane (Springfield, PA/Springfield) scored with 10:05 left in the game to put the Pride ahead to stay, 6-5. Widener added further goals with 8:25, 2:23 and 1:36 left.

Senior midfielder Frankie Puzzangara (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) led Elizabethtown in scoring with two goals, and the two-time MAC Player of the Year wrapped up his career with Elizabethtown record totals of 129 goals, 167 points, 542 shots and 322 ground balls. He also set a new Etown single-season ground ball record with 126 in 2007. Also scoring single goals for the Blue Jays were Andrew Wagner (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright), Ryan McCafferty (Orlando, FL/William R. Boone) and Keith Staulters (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa).

Brian Stromko (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) scored four times to lead the Pride. Goane scored twice for Widener and had one assist, and Luke Weber (Lititz, PA/Manheim Township) added two goals as well.

At Elizabethtown, PA
Widener 9, Elizabethtown 5
Score by period      1 2 3 4   Tot
-------------------------------------
Widener............. 1 2 2 4 - 9
Elizabethtown....... 3 0 2 0 - 5

Widener SCORING: GOALS: Stromko, Brian 4; Goane, Gavin 2; Weber, Luke 2; Matthews, Chris 1. ASSISTS: Quedenfeld, Clint 2; Goane, Gavin 1; Matthews, Chris 1.  

Elizabethtown SCORING: GOALS: Frankie Puzzangara 2; Andrew Wagner 1; Keith Staulters 1; Ryan McCafferty 1. ASSISTS: Aaron Weber 3.

Widener GROUND BALLS: Fleury, John 3; Simcox, Dave 3; Weber, Luke 2; Jones, Darnell 1; Politarhos, Nick 1; Quedenfeld, Clint 1; Stromko, Brian 1.

Elizabethtown GROUND BALLS: Andrew Wagner 3; Chris Day 2; Jeff Long 2; Chris Schuch 2; Frank Cacia 1; Ryan McCafferty 1; Eric Peifer 1; Frankie Puzzangara 1; Chris Senese 1; Gary Senese 1; Aaron Weber 1.

SHOTS - WIDML 33; ETOWN 37.
SHOTS ON GOAL - WIDML 17; ETOWN 18.
PENALTIES - WIDML 3/3:00; ETOWN 4/3:00.
MAN-UP OPPORTUNITIES - WIDML 0-4; ETOWN 1-2.
FACEOFFS - WIDML 9-18; ETOWN 9-18.
CLEARS - WIDML 10-15; ETOWN 11-17.

GOALIES - WIDML: Johnson, Andrew 11-5 (60:00 minutes, 18 shots-13 saves, 5 GA); ETOWN: Chris Schuch (60:00, 17-8, 9).