Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
2-2
Denver
3-0
SHU Battles #1/2 Denver But Falls 18-7
2/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
DENVER, Colo. – The Sacred Heart men's lacrosse team battled hard against the #1/2 Denver Pioneers Saturday at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, but came away with an 18-7 loss.
Sophomore attack Matt Posch had his first career hat trick, leading SHU with three points as well. Alex Dodge had two assists with Brian Masi adding two points on a goal and an assist. Goalie A.J. Boyd made 14 saves.
Sacred Heart (2-2) scored off the opening faceoff, as Ryan O'Donoghue fed Posch for the game's first goal 11 seconds in. Posch scored again at the 7:36 mark to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead. Denver (3-0) got on the board with 6:40 to play in the first on an Austin French goal, which started a 4-0 run to end the quarter as Denver took a 4-2 lead.
Denver got goals from Brendan Bomberry and Connor Cannizzaro in the first 30 seconds of the second quarter to extend its lead to 6-2. Sacred Heart had shots in the quarter, but couldn't score as Denver took an 11-2 lead at halftime.
The Pioneers came alive in the third quarter, outscoring Denver 4-1. Alec Dauses opened the scoring with a goal 1:09 into the period. Julian Garritano added his third goal of the season at the 7:25 mark to make the score 11-4. After Cannizzaro put Denver ahead 12-4 with just over six minutes left, Masi and Joe Saggese scored back-to-back goals to make the score 12-6 heading into the fourth. Just as it did in the second quarter, Denver blitzed the Pioneers in the fourth. Denver outscored SHU 6-1 in the final period to make the final score 18-7.
Denver outshot Sacred Heart 43-26, and had 29 groundballs to SHU's 15. Sacred Heart was 0-for-3 on the extra man, with Denver going 5-for-6. Cannizzaro had a game-high five goals and six points. Bomberry added four goals and an assist.
Sacred Heart closes out play in the Faceoff Classic Sunday at 1 p.m. eastern against Air Force.
FIRST QUARTER
- SHU scored 11 seconds into the game, its fastest goal of the season.
- O'Donoghue's assist on the first goal was his first career assist and first career point.
- Denver outshot SHU 12-7 for the quarter.
SECOND QUARTER
- Denver was 2-for-2 on the extra-man in the quarter and won all seven faceoffs.
- Cannizzaro and Jack Bobzien both scored in the final 11 seconds to give Denver an 11-2 halftime lead.
THIRD QUARTER
- SHU outshot Denver 10-9.
- Dauses' goal was his sixth of the season, equaling his total from last season.
- Saggese scored with 0:01 left in the period, his fifth goal of the season.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Posch completed his hat trick with 6:31 to play for SHU's lone goal of the fourth.
- Dodge assisted on Posch's goal for his team-leading fifth assist and 10th point of the season.
