PITTSBURGH, Pa – The Hood College men's lacrosse team hit the road against the Cougars of Chatham University on Saturday afternoon but fell in the contest 6-4.
Inside the Box Score
Nino Rizzolino (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) netted a goal and caused two turnovers.
Trent Leuba (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock) made 17 saves in goal and picked up seven ground balls.
JT Harich (Point of Rocks, MD./Brunswick),
Dakotah Hawkins (Roanoke, Va/Salem), and
Regan Tesche (Avondale, Pa./Salesianum School) all scored a goal in the contest.
How it Happened
The Cougars drew first blood on the Blazers as they would take an early advantage just over two minutes into the game.
It was clear that the defensive prowess of both teams was on full display as neither team was able to find their footing.
A late goal just before the end of the first quarter, gave Chatham a two goal lead.
Hood struggled to find its footing offensively, and Chatham took full advantage by scoring two goals very early into the second quarter to go up 4-0.
Despite the deficit, the Blazer were persistent in their approach, and just before the break, a
JT Harich (Point of Rocks, MD./Brunswick) goal gave Hood a little momentum to build on to start the second half.
To start the third quarter, saw Harich trying to net his second goal of the game, but the Cougars goalkeeper made a pivotal save to slow down a potential Blazer's comeback.
Chatham capitalized and netted another goal to extend the lead to 5-1.
The Blazers fought the rest of the quarter, but the defensive battle from both teams in the first half bled over into the second half.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Hood needed a response and found one in
Nino Rizzolino (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) who fired a shot that found the back of the net to cut into the Cougars lead.
Chatham quickly answered with a goal of their own to lead Hood 6-2.
The Rizzolino goal rippled throughout the team, as the squad found some rhythm with just under six minutes remaining, and saw
Dakotah Hawkins (Roanoke, Va/Salem) net a goal for Hood.
Time was of the essence, and the Blazer needed a goal, as
Alex Odenheimer (Robbinsville, N.J./Robbinsville) found teammate
Regan Tesche (Avondale, Pa./Salesianum School) who fired into the back of the net to cut the led to just two.
The Blazer offense found a rhythm in the fourth quarter, but as time dwindled down, Hood was unable to capitalize on their offensive rhythm and fell in the contest 6-4.
For the Opponent
Jacob Lubaway had three goals, while Thomas Whitaker netted two.
Analysis
Hood was outshot 46-24.
The Blazers earned the advantage in saves 17-8.
Hood came up short in the ground battle 32-17, and faceoffs 10-3.
Notes
Hood falls to 5-3 overall.
Chatham improves to 5-2 overall.
Up Next
The squad will be back home on Thomas Athletic Field on Wednesday, April 1, at 6 PM as they start conference play against conference foe Stevenson University.
