A late scoring surge couldn’t help the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team as it lost to Delaware, 9-6.
The No. 12 Minutemen (7-4, 2-2 Colonial Athletic Association) committed 20 turnovers, including eight turnovers in the first and third quarters in the loss.
Freshman attackman Will Manny led UMass with three goals and one assist. The Minutemen also saw goals from their entire starting midfield: Anthony Biscardi, Ryan Hantverk, and Bobby Hayes. Hantverk also contributed two assists as well.
While Manny excelled in the final quarter, UMass coach Greg Cannella wanted that kind of play throughout the entirety of the game.
“I thought we stunk,” Cannella said. “We didn’t play well early and that hurt us.”
Hantverk’s lone goal was the first of the game but the Blue Hens (6-6, 1-2 CAA) quickly turned the game with five-straight goals – four were unassisted and all scored by different players. Biscardi assisted on Hayes’ goal with just over three minutes to go in the half to pull UMass within three.
Delaware outshot the Minutemen, 35-28, and had a 40-31 advantage in ground balls.
The Blue Hens opened up the second half with another goal but the Minutemen answered back when Biscardi took a feed from Manny to put the score at 6-3 in favor of Delaware.
In the fourth period, however, UMass rode the momentum gained by Biscardi’s goal in the previous period and Manny torched the Blue Hens for three-straight goals. Manny’s second goal came off an assist by Biscardi and his third score gave him his team-leading 22nd goal of the season off an assist from sophomore Steve D’Amario to tie the game at six.
After an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on midfielder Greg Rushing, Delaware capitalized on its only successful man-up goal in five opportunities during the game to again take the lead. Attackman Curtis Dickson beat Minutemen goalie Tim McCormack (eight saves) for the score. Dickson added another goal on a rebound after two missed shots by the Blue Hens.
Rushing went 8-for-16 in face-offs for the Minutemen and UMass went 9-for-19 as a team in the face-off circle. Delaware went 9-for-9 in clears in the first half, including three goals resulting directly from face-off wins.
While Cannella felt that senior All-American defenseman Diogo Godoi kept Dickson – the nation’s second-leading scorer – locked up for most of the game, he noted that Dickson wasn’t the only offensive threat for Delaware.
“Diogo had a good handle on him early in the game,” Cannella said. “They also had a lot of great performances from guys who’ve been consistent all year.”
Godoi shared the team lead in caused-turnovers, with two on the day. Senior Will Jeffery and sophomore Alex Reinhard also had caused-turnovers for the Minutemen.
The final goal of the game came when Delaware attackman Nick Elsmo scored on McCormack with just over three minutes remaining.
UMass next plays on Saturday as it takes on No. 9 Georgetown (7-4) in East Hartford, Conn. at the ESPNU Warrior Classic, which will be nationally-televised on ESPNU at 1:30 p.m.
Mike Gillmeister can be reached at [email protected].
