Men's Lacrosse strikes Overtime Winner, Take Down Nichols 11 - 10
Nichols opened a 3 – 0 lead to start the game, paced by a pair of strikes form Michael Bane (N. Grafton, MA). The Raiders rattled off four unanswered strikes to close out the 1st quarter and take a 4 – 3 lead after one. Joe Kelland (FR, Watertown, MA) capped off the surge with back to back man up strikes. The 2nd quarter was the most open and back and forth quarter of the game, with Nichols battling back to tie the game 6 – 6, again with a pair of strikes from Bane. Rivier opened up a two goal lead to head into halftime ahead 8 – 6, with Tambouris notching two strikes to close out the half, the second of which was an individual effort that he tucked past Bison goalkeeper James Keane (FR, Franklin, MA) with just one second left on the game clock.
Rivier got strikes from Tambouris and Kelland in the 3rd quarter to open up a 10 – 6 lead. Clark Plummer (JR, Londonderry, NH) turned away all 10 shots in goal for the Raiders that the Bison generated in the 3rd quarter. Plummer backstopped the strong 3rd quarter defensive effort, taking care of anything that got through the Raiders defense led by Andrew Lucy (SR, Windham, NH). Nichols would turn the tables in the 4th quarter, notching four unanswered strikes to knot the game at 10 – 10, with a pair of the goals coming man-up. Anthony Verville (JR, Portland, ME) and Bane led the Bison comeback. The Raiders almost wrapped the game up late in the 4th on a man-up play with Liam Ryan (FR, Dorchester, MA) beating Keane when he ripped a low shot that rang off the bottom of the left post.
In overtime, a pair of penalties against Nichols put the Raiders up two men. Kelland connected with Tambouris for his game winning man-up strike at the 2:12 mark of OT and the Raiders had their third win of the season.
The Raiders were led by Tambouris 4 goals; 1 assist; 9 shots with 7 on goal; and 2 ground balls; Kelland 3 goals; 1 assist; 4 shots with all 4 on goal; and 5 ground balls; Kyle Graham (JR, Londonderry, NH) 1 goal; 3 assists; 4 shots with 2 on goal; and 4 ground balls; and Cody Lynch (JR, Salem, NH) 1 assist; 7 shots with 4 on goal; 6 ground balls. Lynch also did a majority of the work in the face-off circle for Rivier. Plummer manned the net and made 13 saves on 23 shots. He also picked up 2 ground balls.