Syracuse University
#18 Brown
Pfeifer's 12 Saves Critical in 9-8 Win Against Brown
4/2/2005 7:42:26 PM | Men's Lacrosse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Senior goaltender Jay Pfeifer (Towson, Md.) stopped 12 Brown shots in a 9-8 Syracuse men's lacrosse victory against the No. 18-ranked Bears. It was the third consecutive victory for the Orange, who improved to 4-3 on the season. Brown is now 3-2 on the year.
The Bears got out to a 2-0 lead behind first-quarter goals by Chazz Woodson and Christopher Mucciolo. SU tied it up at 2-2 with unassisted goals from juniors Greg Rommel (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Brett Bucktooth (Onondaga Nation, N.Y.). Bucktooth's goal was a low lazer rip on an SU extra-man opportunity. It would be the first of four man-up goals for the Orange.
The second quarter began with a penalty instead of a faceoff. Brown's Alex Buckley was whistled for an illegal stick after a randon stick check by the officials to start the second period. The penalty was non-releasable and Syracuse capitalized with three extra-man tallies that gave the Orange a 5-2 lead with 13:19 remaining in the first half. Senior midfielder Jake Plunket (Cortland, N.Y.) extended Syracuse's advantage to four goals (6-2) with a low, outside shot that found the back of the net with 2:26 remaining in the second period. Kyle Wailes registered Brown's third goal with 16 seconds left in the half, off an assist from Woodson. The Bears trailed 6-3 at halftime.
In the second half, turnovers became an issue for the Orange. Brown outscored SU, 2-1, in the third quarter. Kirk Teatom and Woodson pulled the Bears to within two goals twice in the period (6-4 and 7-5). Freshman attackman Mike Leveille (Delmar, N.Y.) netted his second goal of the afternoon with 8:09 left in the third. It gave the Orange a 7-4 lead, before Woodson made it 7-5.
Dave Madeira inched Brown to within 7-6 with 6:40 to play in the contest after he put away a pass from Britton Derkac in the fourth quarter.
Senior Brian Crockett (Yorktown, N.Y.) responded for SU just 36 seconds later and then Rommel completed his second-straight hat trick at the 5:17 mark to increase the Orange's margin to three goals (9-6).
Brown gave itself a chance with a Will McGettigan goal with 3:10 remaining. Woodson recorded his third goal of the day with 12 seconds remaining, but Syracuse won the last faceoff thanks to sophomore midfielder Danny Brennan and senior middie Jarett Park (Otisco, N.Y.) on the wing.
Brown goalie Nick Gentilesco finished the game with 11 saves.
SU has a week to prepare for its next game, a road trip to Baltimore to play Loyola on Saturday, April 9, at 1 p.m. The game will be televised by WMAR-TV (abc2sports) in Baltimore and aired on ESPNU.
