Box Score

CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Kevin Smith (Baltimore, MD/McDonogh) netted a hat trick and Matt Twombly (New Canaan,CT/New Canaan) scored the game-winning goal to lead No. 5 Gettysburg over third-ranked Washington 7-6 in the Centennial Conference (CC) men’s lacrosse championship on Sunday.

Pat Vaughan (Cockeysville, MD/Loyola) recorded 17 saves to help the Bullets (13-3) to their sixth CC title in seven years and eighth in the 11-year history of the conference. Vaughan limited the Shoremen (16-2) to one goal in the final two quarters, holding the hosts fewer than seven goals for the first time in 31 games.

Jon Spivey tallied a team-high three points and Richard Yost made 14 saves for Washington on the afternoon.            

Falling in the CC championship game last year to the Shoremen, Gettysburg found the back of the net six times in the first half and held a one-goal edge at the intermission for its third victory in the four title-game meetings between the two programs.

After Michael Dyal tied the game for the fourth time at 6-all with a man-up goal at the 4:13 mark of the third quarter, Twombly took advantage of two Washington penalties and drilled the ball in the side of the net for the game-winning tally at the 2:36 mark of the third quarter.

Clinging to the one-goal lead, the Bullets put their confidence in the defense for the final 15 minutes to earn the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

Gettysburg wasted no time in the first quarter on Smith’s first goal of the day with 4 minutes, 54 seconds gone in the game. Washington’s Spivey returned the favor, twice. Spivey took a feed from Vetter at the 8:31 mark, and struck again, unassisted, less than a minute later for a 2-1 advantage.

It would be the last Shoremen lead. Chase Stewart (Downingtown, PA/Downingtown) tied the game on an extra-man goal with 1:36 showing in the opening quarter, blasting a shot low and into the corner off a pass from Nick Purkat (Annandale, VA/W.T. Woodson) to start a 4-0 run.

A Washington turnover with 58 ticks left led to Evan Gallant (Lutherville, MD/Loyola) taking a feed from Jake Van Nostrand (Baldwin, NY/Baldwin) from eight feet out and giving the Bullets the lead for good at 3-2.

Gallant knocked home his second goal 1 minute, 14 seconds into the second quarter and Smith shook his defender on a cutting goal three minutes later for the biggest lead of the day at 5-2.

Three goals a 6-minute, 50-second span brought the Shoremen even once again. Brent Renner tallied unassisted at the 10:17 mark before Spivey found Kevin Nolan a minute and a half later.

Stephen Berger capped the burst with an unassisted marker with just inside thee and a half minutes remaining before intermission.

A Gettysburg timeout with 49 seconds left in the second quarter allowed the Bullets to set up the final goal before halftime. Smith completed his three-goal day with eight seconds to spare, cutting from the right side and slipping it past Yost for a 6-5 lead.

With the victory, the Bullets earn their 13^th trip to the NCAA tournament in the last 14 seasons and will await the announcement of the field on Sunday evening. Action opens with one first-round game on Wednesday and a full slate of eight second-round contests over the weekend.

CC Championship	1	2	3	4	-	F
#5 Gettysburg (13-3)	3	3	1	0	-	7
#3 Washington (16-2)	2	3	1	0	-	6

Goals

Gettysburg: Kevin Smith 3, Evan Gallant 2, Matt Twombly, Chase Stewart.

Washington: Jon Spivey 2, Stephen Berger, Michael Dyal, Brent Renner, Kevin Nolan.

Assists

Gettysburg: Jake Van Nostrand, Nick Purkat.

Washington:  Berger 1, Spivey. Gregrory Vetter.

Shots: G 29, W 38.

Ground Balls: G 31, W 32.

Extra-Man: G 2 of 5, W 1 of 2.

Face-Offs: G 8, W 9.

Goalies: G (Pat Vaughan – 60:00, 17 saves, 6 GA), W (Richard Yost – 60:00, 14 saves, 7 GA).

Clearing: G 19 of 27, W 21 of 22.

Penalties: G 2 for 1:30, W 6 for 4:00.

-30-