May 5, 2007

Mount Ida Slips Past Castleton in Overtime, 11-10

Newton, MA-For the fourth year in a row, the Mount Ida College men's lacrosse team defeated Castleton State College in the North Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship. The top-seeded Mustangs used overtime to down the second-seeded Spartans 11-10 this afternoon in front of an overflow crowd at the Mount Ida Athletic Stadium. Junior attackman Andrew Cloonan (Franklin, Mass./Franklin/Dean CC) netted the game-winning goal just 36 seconds into the extra session.

With the win, Mount Ida (13-3, 7-0 NAC) secured a spot in 28th Annual NCAA Division III Championship. The Mustangs are expected to take the field for first round action on Wednesday, May 9 versus a yet to be determined opponent. Brackets for the national tournament will be announced tomorrow evening on College Sports Television Network from 9-10 p.m. Mount Ida, which has never fallen in 29 contests versus NAC foes, will ride a 12-game winning streak into its first ever NCAA Tournament.

Despite its loss today, Castleton (10-5, 6-1 NAC) is still eligible for the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament. The ECAC field will be announced in the coming days, with first round games taking place on Wednesday.

The Spartans controlled things in the early going, scoring a pair of man-up goals in the first 2:09 to take a quick 2-0 lead. Two straight goals by junior midfielder John Lightbown (Melrose, Mass./Malden Catholic) evened things up at the 9:09 mark of the first quarter.

Castleton tallied the next four goals to open up a 6-2 edge midway through the second stanza, but Mount Ida closed the half with a three-goal flurry to slice the deficit to 6-5 at the break. Sophomore attackman Leo Shidler (Peabody, Mass./Peabody) recorded the final two to help the Mustangs gain momentum heading into the second half.

Cloonan's first tally of the day knotted things up at 6-6 just over three minutes into the third frame. Less than one minute later, freshman midfielder Jake Rick (Rochester, N.Y./Irondequoit) scored to put the Spartans back in front by a goal. Shidler and Lightbown registered consecutive goals to give Mount Ida's its first lead of the day (8-7) at the 3:39 mark of the third quarter, but senior midfielder Adam Rosati (Guilford, Conn./Guilford) even things up at 8-8 with his third goal just over one minute later.

Rosati found the net again in the early stages of the fourth quarter to put Castleton State in front 9-8. The Spartans maintained their slim lead until Lightbown posted the equalizer with 5:57 remaining in regulation. Sophomore midfielder Anthony DiMarsico (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) then scored at the 2:12 mark to give the Mustangs a 10-9 cushion.

With the game nearly in hand, Mount Ida committed a penalty with just over one minute left in the fourth frame. Castleton capitalized on its power play opportunity, as freshman attacker Geoffrey Walker (Manchester, Vt./Burr & Burton Academy) tallied with 34 seconds on the clock to send the contest to overtime.

In the extra frame, the Mustangs won the opening face-off and called a timeout. Following the break, Cloonan took a feed from sophomore attackman Brett Conley (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield) and collected the game-winner.

Lightbown, the Tournament's Most Valuable Player, finished with a game-best four goals. Mount Ida also received a boost from Shidler, who amassed a hat trick and one assist. Cloonan finished with a pair of markers for the hosts. Freshman goalkeeper Matt Vernik (Bethany, Conn./Amity Regional) turned in a magnificent effort between the pipes for the Mustangs, stopping 18 shots. He improved his record to 6-1.

The Spartans were paced by Rosati, who poured in four goals. Sophomore attacker Robbie Scanlon (Jericho, Vt./Mt. Mansfield Union) totaled two goals and an assist, while senior midfielder Matt VanDerKar (Manchester, Vt./Burr and Burton Academy) chipped in with one goal and three helpers. The NAC Player of the Year scooped up a game-high 15 ground balls. Sophomore netminder Michael Mamunes (Manchester, Conn./Burlington CC) made nine saves in a losing effort for the guests.

Statistically, the game was nearly even. Castleton outshot the Mustangs 43-38 and won 15 of the 25 face-offs. The Spartans enjoyed a 50-40 edge in the ground ball column. Both squads were successful in man-up opportunities. Castleton scored five times in eight chances, while Mount Ida netted three goals in seven power play situations. [Game Stats]

2007 North Atlantic Conference Men's Lacrosse Tournament Championship
All-Tournament Team

Tournament MVP: John Lightbown
Matt Vernik - Mount Ida
Tom Kennedy - Mount Ida
Tom Watts - Mount Ida
Scott Eiseman - Mount Ida
Matt VanDerKar - Castleton
Adam Rosati - Castleton
Alex Brown- Castleton
Brandon Bell - Daniel Webster
Craig VanTuyl - Daniel Webster
M.J. Cain - Thomas
Chris Vashon - Thomas

***Spartans***