University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Hofstra
No. 10 UMass Drops Opener At Hofstra, 8-6
February 24, 2007 | Men's Lacrosse
Feb. 24, 2007
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - A year after handing Hofstra its only two losses, the Pride came back to beat UMass in the season opener for both teams, winning, 8-6, on a sunny but windy afternoon at Shuart Stadium. The Pride scored four goals in the fourth quarter including the game-winner by Michael Colleluori with 4:26 left in the regulation. Rory Pedrick and Brett Garber each scored two goals for the No. 10 Minutemen, the reigning National Finalists.
Both goalies were strong as UMass' Doc Schneider made nine saves while Hofstra's Danny Orlando, in his first college start, made 13 stops.
Mike Unterstein's goal with 1:42 sealed the win giving Hofstra the 8-6 lead, the first two-goal lead of the game.
UMass appeared to tie the game as Denis Whelan pushed the ball past Hofstra's Danny Orlando with 2:40 left in regulation, but the goal was waved off as Whelan was called for being in the crease.
Michael Colleluori netted a bounce shot with 4:26 in the game to put Hofstra back on top, 7-6.
Denis Whelan scored a fastbreak goal from Paul Manesis with 5:55 left in regulation to tie the game at 6-6. It was Whelan's first goal in nearly two years and just his third career goal. He last scored against Penn State on April 2, 2005.
Tom Dooley gave Hofstra the 6-5 lead with 8:46 left in regulation after Hofstra tied the game on a Dan Stein goal with 11:49 left in regulation, making it 5-5.
Pedrick scored his second goal of the third quarter to make it 5-4 Minutemen with 2:08 left in the stanza. Hofstra evened the game at 4-4 as Colleluori scored on a bounce shot with 5:13 left in the third. Pedrick scored a pretty goal off a quick pass from Connolly with 6:01 left in the third quarter to make it 4-3, UMass. Pedrick beat Orlando just inside the far left goal post. Ryan Miller tied the game at 3-3 for Hofstra just 1:13 into the second half.
After plenty of sloppy play, UMass took the lead on a pair of scores by Garber in the final minutes of the first half. Garber finished a tic-tac-toe passing play as Brian Jacovina fed Pedrick who hit Garber on the right doorstep of the game to make it 3-2 with 1:06 left in the first half. Garber ripped a laser past Orlando with 2:32 left in the first half to tie the game at 2-2. Andrew Recchione set up Garber for his laser shot.
Hofstra's Ryan Miller worked his way around a UMass defender to beat Schneider to make it 2-1 Pride with 10:41 left in the first half.
UMass got on the board as Connolly scored from the left side off a pass from Tim Balise, 6:01 into the game.
Schneider was strong early stopping several Hofstra shots in the first four minutes before the Pride's Tom Dooley opened the scoring, 4:51 into the game as he took a feed from Bill Peters to make it 1-0.
UMass opens its home season on Saturday, March 3 as the Minutemen hosts Yale at 1 p.m., at Garber Field. Live streaming video and audio will be available on UMassAthletics.com.
