Box Score Southern Maine Holds Off Maine Maritime 9-7
CASTINE, Maine -- Sophomore Keegan Smith (West Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner Area) had a goal and five assists as the University of Southern Maine men's lacrosse team built a 9-3 lead, then held off a fourth-quarter rally by Maine Maritime Academy to post a 9-7 victory Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action at Ritchie Field.
The win improved the Huskies overall record to 4-2. The Mariners fell to 3-5 on the season.
The Huskies took a 4-2 lead in the first quarter as Smith set up all four goals. Smith assisted junior Jeff Urmston (Bellingham, Mass.) and sophomore Tyler Jamison (West Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner Area) for markers 1:19 apart for a quick 2-0 lead. After MMA senior Nicholas Betti (Upper Saddle River, N.J./Tabor Academy) scored twice to tie the game, Smith set up sophomore Seth Wing (West Gardiner, Maine/Gardiner Area) and rookie Nate DelGiudice (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee) before the quarter ended to give the visitors a 4-2 advantage after 15 minutes.
Smith set up Wing for his second goal of the game at 9:56 of the second quarter making it 5-2. Wing became the passer 28 seconds later setting up junior Eddie Barrasso (Wilmington, Mass.) for a 6-2 lead.
Freshman Mike Fuller (Portland, Maine) scored for the Mariners eight seconds into the third quarter to close the gap, but the Huskies tallied the next three goals to make it 9-3 after three quarters. Smith, Barrasso and junior Austin Watts (Westbrook, Maine) found the net for the Huskies with Watts' goal coming with seven seconds remaining in the quarter.
The Mariners dominated the fourth quarter outscoring the Huskies 4-0 to close the gap. Sophomore Peter Moore (Scarborough, Maine) tallied an up goal at 12:39. Betti scored his third goal of the game at 10:28 to make it 9-5. Betti's fourth goal of the game at 2:54, and senior Bronson Guimond's (Portland, Maine) goal 52 seconds later pulled the hosts within two, but time would run out on the Mariners' comeback attempt.
Wing had two goals and two assists for a four-point day. Barrasso tallied two goals, and DelGiudice had a goal and an assist. Freshmen John Bossi (Billerica, Mass.) and Zach Bessette (Readfield, Maine/Maranacook) split the goaltending duties. Bossi played the opening half stopping three shots. Bessette took over after halftime to make eight saves in the second half.
Betti led the Mariners with four goals. Guimond, Fuller and Moore had the other Mariner goals. Junior goalie James Wilgus (Phippsburg, Maine/Brunswick) finished with 15 saves.
Southern Maine is back in action on Saturday (6:00 p.m.) traveling to Salem State University for a Little East Conference game. Maine Maritime is off until April 7 when it hosts Husson University for a North Atlantic Conference game.
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