University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, May 12
New Haven, Conn.
12 p.m.
University of Massachusetts
12-5Overall
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#5/4 Yale
14-3Overall
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Massachusetts
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Photo by: Thom Kendall - UMass Athletics
Fourth Quarter Comeback Falls Shy In Men’s Lacrosse Loss At No. 5 Yale
May 12, 2018 | Men's Lacrosse
Buddy Carr, Ben Spencer tally hat tricks in season-ending 15-13 defeat
AMHERST, Mass. – The No. 15 nationally ranked University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse program put forth a valiant comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, but fell shy in their rally bid, 15-13 at No. 5 Yale during the NCAA Championship First Round on Saturday. Attackman Buddy Carr (Exeter, N.H.) polished off his stellar senior season with three goals and an assist while junior Ben Spencer (Danville, Calif.) posted a hat trick from the midfield at Reese Stadium.
Massachusetts concludes its 2018 season with a 12-5 overall record. The Maroon and White went undefeated in CAA play (5-0), the first team to do so since 2013, and won the CAA Championship with back-to-back victories over Hofstra, 10-6, and Towson, 12-8.
The one dozen wins represent the most for the program in a year since the 15-win campaign in 2012 and mark the seventh season with 12 or more under head coach Greg Cannella.
Junior close defenseman Isaac Paparo (Westport, Conn.) scored twice while senior midfielder Jake Lisauskas (Derry, N.H.) and freshman attack Chris Connolly (Glastonbury, Conn.) each tallied once and dished out a pair of assists. Devin Spencer (Danville, Calif.) posted two points via a goal and assist as the lone additional multi-point performance.
Four additional Minutemen chipped in one point apiece, including goals by Billy Philpott (Sandwich, Mass.) and Kevin Tobin (Reading, Mass.), and assists from Noah Rak (Norwich, Conn.) and Dom St. Laurent (Nashua, N.H.).
In addition to his assist, Rak won 10 faceoffs and collected nine groundballs. Junior goalie Sean Sconone (East Islip, N.Y.) made 10 saves in the cage while senior close defenseman Luc Valenza (Foxborough, Mass.) posted two caused turnovers and three groundballs. He was one of three Minutemen with multiple caused turnovers, as Connolly and senior long-stick midfielder Shane Rinkus (Pembroke, Mass.) had two each.
Ben Spencer scored twice alongside a goal each from Carr, Paparo and Devin Spencer during the opening half as Massachusetts trailed, 6-5, at the break.
Massachusetts ripped off back-to-back goals to open the game as Paparo set the frenetic tone to the half with a long-pole tally only one minute, 50 seconds into the game. Paparo fielded a pass by Lisauskas and unleashed a lower right-corner blast by the out-stretched leg of Yale goalie Jack Starr.
Following Rak's first faceoff win of the afternoon, Connolly found Carr for Carr's first of three goals against the Bulldogs defense for the two-goal margin with 11:39 to go in the first.
The Yale offense settled into a rhythm over the remainder of the first quarter and struck for four of the final five tallies, separated only by Ben Spencer's first of the day.
With a 4-3 margin for the home side after one, the teams traded tallies into halftime as the Bulldogs held a one-goal lead at the break.
Devin Spencer scored on a bounce shot following a sneak attack caused turnover by Connolly on Starr, before Ben Spencer notched another and pulled Massachusetts back within one of the Bulldogs.
Yale pushed its lead to five in the third quarter through a strong transition defense and three of Jackson Morrill's seven goals on the game. Carr and Connolly had the lone UMass goals in the frame, but a five-goal Bulldog run separated the Minuteman tallies.
The home squad pushed its advantage to seven (14-7), including Morrill's seventh tally, early in the fourth quarter before the Massachusetts offense responded with seven of the game's final eight goals.
Ben Spencer opened the attack when he dodged to the cage and fired in a left strike for the hat trick with 11:32 remaining in the game. Carr sized up his own hat trick less than 90 seconds later when he crashed the crease, scooped up a loose ball and dunked it over Starr's shoulders.
Back within five, Tobin absorbed a slash to the head and scored with the flag down to make it a 14-10 game with 9:32 to go.
Brendan Rooney gave Yale its five-goal lead back with his 16th conversion of the season, but back-to-back transition tallies brought Massachusetts within 15-12 by the 6:14 mark. Philpott scored his 11th of the season before Paparo netted his fifth of the year – and second of the game – unassisted, as the Minutemen continued their rally attempt.
However, Yale won the ensuing faceoff, slowed pace and limited the Massachusetts offense's opportunity through the remainder of the game. The Maroon and White potted once more when Carr found Lisauskas open at the left post with 18 seconds to play, but the Bulldogs slipped away from Reese Stadium with the win.
Follow the team on Twitter (@UMassMLacrosse), Instagram (@UMassMLAX) and Facebook (/UMassMensLacrosse).
Massachusetts concludes its 2018 season with a 12-5 overall record. The Maroon and White went undefeated in CAA play (5-0), the first team to do so since 2013, and won the CAA Championship with back-to-back victories over Hofstra, 10-6, and Towson, 12-8.
The one dozen wins represent the most for the program in a year since the 15-win campaign in 2012 and mark the seventh season with 12 or more under head coach Greg Cannella.
Junior close defenseman Isaac Paparo (Westport, Conn.) scored twice while senior midfielder Jake Lisauskas (Derry, N.H.) and freshman attack Chris Connolly (Glastonbury, Conn.) each tallied once and dished out a pair of assists. Devin Spencer (Danville, Calif.) posted two points via a goal and assist as the lone additional multi-point performance.
Four additional Minutemen chipped in one point apiece, including goals by Billy Philpott (Sandwich, Mass.) and Kevin Tobin (Reading, Mass.), and assists from Noah Rak (Norwich, Conn.) and Dom St. Laurent (Nashua, N.H.).
In addition to his assist, Rak won 10 faceoffs and collected nine groundballs. Junior goalie Sean Sconone (East Islip, N.Y.) made 10 saves in the cage while senior close defenseman Luc Valenza (Foxborough, Mass.) posted two caused turnovers and three groundballs. He was one of three Minutemen with multiple caused turnovers, as Connolly and senior long-stick midfielder Shane Rinkus (Pembroke, Mass.) had two each.
Ben Spencer scored twice alongside a goal each from Carr, Paparo and Devin Spencer during the opening half as Massachusetts trailed, 6-5, at the break.
Massachusetts ripped off back-to-back goals to open the game as Paparo set the frenetic tone to the half with a long-pole tally only one minute, 50 seconds into the game. Paparo fielded a pass by Lisauskas and unleashed a lower right-corner blast by the out-stretched leg of Yale goalie Jack Starr.
Following Rak's first faceoff win of the afternoon, Connolly found Carr for Carr's first of three goals against the Bulldogs defense for the two-goal margin with 11:39 to go in the first.
The Yale offense settled into a rhythm over the remainder of the first quarter and struck for four of the final five tallies, separated only by Ben Spencer's first of the day.
With a 4-3 margin for the home side after one, the teams traded tallies into halftime as the Bulldogs held a one-goal lead at the break.
Devin Spencer scored on a bounce shot following a sneak attack caused turnover by Connolly on Starr, before Ben Spencer notched another and pulled Massachusetts back within one of the Bulldogs.
Yale pushed its lead to five in the third quarter through a strong transition defense and three of Jackson Morrill's seven goals on the game. Carr and Connolly had the lone UMass goals in the frame, but a five-goal Bulldog run separated the Minuteman tallies.
The home squad pushed its advantage to seven (14-7), including Morrill's seventh tally, early in the fourth quarter before the Massachusetts offense responded with seven of the game's final eight goals.
Ben Spencer opened the attack when he dodged to the cage and fired in a left strike for the hat trick with 11:32 remaining in the game. Carr sized up his own hat trick less than 90 seconds later when he crashed the crease, scooped up a loose ball and dunked it over Starr's shoulders.
Back within five, Tobin absorbed a slash to the head and scored with the flag down to make it a 14-10 game with 9:32 to go.
Brendan Rooney gave Yale its five-goal lead back with his 16th conversion of the season, but back-to-back transition tallies brought Massachusetts within 15-12 by the 6:14 mark. Philpott scored his 11th of the season before Paparo netted his fifth of the year – and second of the game – unassisted, as the Minutemen continued their rally attempt.
However, Yale won the ensuing faceoff, slowed pace and limited the Massachusetts offense's opportunity through the remainder of the game. The Maroon and White potted once more when Carr found Lisauskas open at the left post with 18 seconds to play, but the Bulldogs slipped away from Reese Stadium with the win.
Follow the team on Twitter (@UMassMLacrosse), Instagram (@UMassMLAX) and Facebook (/UMassMensLacrosse).
Team Stats
UMASS
YALE
Shots
38
48
Turnovers
16
18
Caused Turnovers
9
11
Faceoffs Won
10
20
Extra-Man Opps
4
6
Ground Balls
27
39
Game Leaders
Players
G
3
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
G
3
A
1
FO
-
Pen
1-30
GB
2
CT
0
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
G
1
A
1
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
1
CT
0
Players Mentioned
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
A
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's LacrosseD
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
LSM
/ Men's Lacrosse
G
/ Men's LacrosseM
/ Men's LacrosseA
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
M
/ Men's Lacrosse
D
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