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Keydets Fall to Jaspers, 8-7 in Double Overtime

RIVERDALE, N.Y.- In a game that featured two teams battling for post-season positioning, the Manhattan Jaspers defeated the VMI Keydet Lacrosse team 8-7 in Saturday afternoon's double-overtime thriller.

With the loss in their regular-season finale, the Keydets fall to 5-9 overall, and 4-4 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. The Jaspers conclude the 2008 campaign to 6-8, and 5-3 in conference play.

Manhattan will be the third seed for the upcoming MAAC Tournament, and VMI will be the fourth seed, as the two teams join Canisius and Providence in next weekend's four-team tournament. VMI will take on Providence in the tournament's opening contest, and Manhattan will follow by battling Canisius.

The Keydets jumped on the board first Saturday afternoon. After a back-and-forth first four minutes, Bobby Davis tallied an unassisted goal at the 10:55 mark to give VMI a 1-0 advantage. The goal was Davis' seventh of the season.

The teams played a tough, competitive second period marked with penalties, as the squads were called for a combined four penalties in the opening nine minutes, with both teams being assessed two during the time.

During the final penalty of the series, a tripping penalty against Manhattan, the Jaspers tallied a man-down goal to tie the game at 1. The man-down goal was the first given up by VMI this season.

The two teams continued their nip-and-tuck play over the next several minutes. With two minutes to play in the half, the Keydets found a flurry of offense, and with 46 seconds left in the second period, Brett Leonard put a Kevin Hill pass in the back of the net to give VMI the advantage back, 2-1.

The Keydets held the lead for just twelve seconds, as Manhattan won the ensuing face-off. The Jaspers' Sean Firth grabbed the ground ball, and beat Sean McCoy with a shot to tie the score at 2.

Following Firth's goal, the Jaspers again won the face-off, but turned the ball over on the ensuing struggle. The Keydets were able to take the ball in, and once again, Leonard put a Hill pass by the Manhattan goaltender to give VMI the lead with just eight seconds remaining in the half. That accounted for the halftime margin of 3-2, VMI.

During the first half, the Jaspers fired 21 shots at VMI keeper McCoy, and the Hudson, Ohio native stopped an impressive nine of them. Manhattan also held the halftime edge in ground balls, 18-13, and controlled the face-off X, winning 5-of-6 contested.

The Jaspers continued to dominate face-offs in the third period, and it began to pay dividends in the third quarter. The home team scored four goals in the period, helped by a 5-for-7 face-off effort. Leonard and Hill kept the game close for VMI, as both scored during the third quarter, and the Keydets were down by just one heading to the final frame.

Matt Harrison scored for VMI at the 13:02 mark of the fourth quarter, and quickly, the Keydets had tied the score. With the score knotted at 6, the teams battled for the next twelve minutes, but failed to put anything up on the scoreboard.

The Keydets got four shots off during that time, but were misfired on two occasions, and were stopped by the Jaspers' goaltender on the other two attempts. The key factor during the scoreless twelve minutes was turnovers, as VMI had four and Manhattan had five, and that prevented either side from mounting a successful offensive effort.

At the 1:33 mark, the Jaspers broke the dry spell with a goal, and re-took the lead, 7-6.

In a sequence somewhat reminiscent of what ended the first half, when Manhattan followed a VMI goal by winning a face-off and quickly scoring, the Keydets did so to end the fourth quarter.

Leonard Weschler won the face-off with 1:33 to play, Matt Turner grabbed the ground ball, and VMI's Hill scored with 54 seconds to play to tie the game once again. Hill's goal, his second of the day, moved him into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time VMI goals scored list.

Despite Manhattan hitting the post with a shot, and the Keydets getting off two attempts, neither team could score after Hill's goal, and the game went to overtime.

VMI dominated the final quarter, attempting eleven shots to just three for Manhattan, and the Keydets also reversed the day's face-off trend, taking three-of-four attempted.

The first four-minute overtime period was marked by just three shots. Manhattan missed the net on two attempts, and with just one second left, VMI's Hill hit the post with a desperation attempt. The game went to a second overtime, still tied 7-7.

VMI opened the second extra frame by winning the face-off, but after a turnover, Manhattan cleared into its offensive zone, and took a timeout at the 2:58 mark. The Jaspers set up a play, and Marc LaBelle took advantage with 1:50 left in the extra frame, as he beat VMI's McCoy to end the contest and give Manhattan the 8-7 win.

VMI was led by McCoy's thirteen saves in the losing effort, as well as Hill's four points and Leonard's three goals. The Jaspers were led by Brian Wynne, who had two goals and two assists.

The double-overtime contest was VMI's first since the 2005 season finale, a 16-15 win over Marist, and just the sixth recorded in VMI Lacrosse history.

The Keydets return to action on Friday, May 2, in Loudonville, N.Y., as they make their first-ever post-season appearance. VMI will participate in the No. 1 versus No. 4 game in the MAAC Tournament's opening round, as the Keydets battle Providence College at noon.
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Players Mentioned

Bobby Davis

#21 Bobby Davis

M
5' 10"
Sophomore
Matt Harrison

#18 Matt Harrison

M
6' 0"
Senior
Kevin Hill

#5 Kevin Hill

A
6' 0"
Senior
Brett Leonard

#10 Brett Leonard

A/M
5' 11"
Sophomore
Sean McCoy

#3 Sean McCoy

G
6' 2"
Sophomore
Matt Turner

#38 Matt Turner

M
6' 0"
Senior
Leonard Weschler

#30 Leonard Weschler

M
6' 1"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Bobby Davis

#21 Bobby Davis

5' 10"
Sophomore
M
Matt Harrison

#18 Matt Harrison

6' 0"
Senior
M
Kevin Hill

#5 Kevin Hill

6' 0"
Senior
A
Brett Leonard

#10 Brett Leonard

5' 11"
Sophomore
A/M
Sean McCoy

#3 Sean McCoy

6' 2"
Sophomore
G
Matt Turner

#38 Matt Turner

6' 0"
Senior
M
Leonard Weschler

#30 Leonard Weschler

6' 1"
Sophomore
M