ONEONTA, NY - Elmira battled back from a 7-3 first-quarter deficit and picked up the game-winner 14 seconds into overtime in a 15-14 victory over Hartwick in Empire 8 men's lacrosse Saturday at Wright Stadium. The Soaring Eagles improve to 6-5 overall and 2-2 in the conference. The Hawks fall to 3-7 and 0-5.
Junior Dave Aitchison (Farmingdale, NY/N. Massapequa) scored five goals and dished out a pair of assists to pace the Blue and White. Senior Brandon Wilk (Hillsborough, NJ/Hillsborough) added three goals and Joe Shields (Loudonville, NY/Shaker) netted two. Matt Landry (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury) delivered two assists.
Soaring Eagle Brandon Saylor won the opening faceoff to start the extra session. He scooped up the ground ball and ran straight in on Hartwick keeper Ryan Twardowski (Emmaus, PA/S. Lehigh) and beat him low for the game-winner. The contest was close throughout the second half with eight tie scores, three lead changes, and neither team earning a lead larger than a single goal throughout the final 30 minutes of regulation.
The Hawks started the game on fire as they opened up a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. Shields and Aitchison scored a pair each in the quarter and Mike Morrison (Holbrook, NY/Sachem East), Wilk, and Eddie Abraham (Rockville Centre, NY/Southside) added tallies for 'Wick.
After scoring to cut the lead to three at the end of the first quarter, Elmira got right back into the game scoring three unanswered goals in the second quarter to make it a 7-7 deadlock at halftime.
The Purple and Gold took the lead early in the third, but Harry Hughes (Holtsville, NY/Sachem East) and Aitchison both tallied from Landry passes to regain the edge for Hartwick. Both teams traded two goals each over a two-minute span until TJ White scored back-to-back man-up goals with under four minutes left in the quarter to give EC a 13-12 advantage.
In the fourth quarter, the Hawks trailed at three different points but managed to tie the score each time. The Soaring Eagles went up 14-13 with 9:31 to play and 'Wick finally tied it just under six minutes later. The Hawks had one man-advantage opportunity and outshot EC 2-0 in the final three and a half minutes of regulation, but could not produce another goal.
Hartwick outshot Elmira 56-40 in the game while the Soaring Eagles edged the Hawks in ground balls 41-40. Bobby Cassidy (Oceanside, NY/Oceanside) picked up a team-best seven ground balls. Alex Skvarch (Syracuse, NY/Marcellus) added five and caused three turnovers. Twardowski finished the game with a career-high 17 saves.
White scored four goals to lead Elmira. Saylor, Brad Levick, and Bobby Thomas each scored twice and goalie Dave Bucchino stopped 15.
Hartwick is back in action on Wednesday at Utica College. The game begins at 4 p.m.
