The St. John Fisher College men's lacrosse team locked up the No. 4 seed for the Empire 8 Conference Championship with a 12-5 win over visiting Utica College on Saturday. With the win, Fisher improves to 11-3 overall on the year, setting a College record for most wins in the program's seven-year history.
A tough Utica defense slowed the Cardinals down early, but Fisher found the back of the net three times in the first quarter, and added a goal 2:15 into the second quarter to take a 4-0 lead.
The Pioneers (4-11 overall, 2-6 Empire 8) cut Fisher’s lead to two goals at the half (4-2) with a pair of unassisted scores to end the second period, and pulled to within one two minutes into the second half with another score, capping a three-goal run.
Over the remainder of the game, however, Fisher outscored the Pioneers 8-2, including a stretch of five unanswered goals to take the game into the fourth quarter.
Dave Wood (Vestal/Vestal) came up big for the Cardinals in the face-off circle, winning a career-high 17-of-20 face-offs and picking up a career-high 13 ground balls.
Sophomore attacker
Dave Malone (Penfield/Penfield) recorded three goals in the run that sealed the win, and finished with a game-high four goals.
Jeff Price (Honeoye Falls-Lima/Lima) and
Dennis Bell (Penfield/Rochester) totaled two goals and one assist each, with
Ryan Kavanaugh (West Genesee/Syracuse) and
Scott Bowen (Binghamton/Binghamton) notching one goal and one assist.
Nick Savine (Eastridge/Rochester) (goal),
Mike Cummins (Penfield/Penfield) (assist), and
Mike Cortina (Binghamton/Binghamton) (goal) rounded out the scoring for Fisher.
Sophomore goalie
Jon Cortina (Binghamton/Binghamton) made nine saves in the win.
Fisher will take on No. 1 seed Ithaca College in Ithaca at 5 p.m. on Friday in the semifinals of the Empire 8 Conference Championship.
