boynewicz vs. st. bonaventure
Scott Golding
18
Winner Sacred Heart SHU 5-4, 3-0
8
VMI VMI 4-5, 0-3
Winner
Sacred Heart SHU
5-4, 3-0
18
Final
8
VMI VMI
4-5, 0-3
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Sacred Heart SHU 3 6 6 3 18
VMI VMI 3 1 4 0 8

Game Recap: Lacrosse |

Keydets drop MAAC home contest to Sacred Heart

LEXINGTON, Va. – Despite a 3-3 deadlock after one period, the VMI lacrosse team could not keep pace with visiting Sacred Heart as the Pioneers achieved an 18-8 victory over the Keydets Saturday afternoon at Drill Field #2 on North Post.
 
The Keydets fall to 4-5 on the year and 0-3 in league play while the Pioneers improve to 5-4 and 3-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.
 
Game Summary
The Keydets struck first on a Wil Duffy goal assisted by AJ Stamos just 1:19 into the game. The Pioneers would score three straight goals before VMI tied it back up at three apiece following goals from Charles Hunt and Austin English.
 
Fueled by five goals by reserve Tucker Spencer, the Pioneers rallied for 15 goals the rest of the way while holding the Keydets to five. Sacred Heart started to pull away in the second period by scoring six goals to VMI's one to go into halftime with a 9-4 advantage and swing of momentum.
 
The Keydets responded with four goals in the third quarter, but the Pioneers matched the intensity with six goals of their own to keep VMI at bay.  Sacred Heart would go on to finish the game with three more goals in the fourth period while holding the Keydets scoreless over the final 15 minutes.
 
Inside the Box Score
*Luke Rusterucci led VMI with a hat trick and has now scored in 27 consecutive games with at least one goal. Duffy, English, AJ Stamos, Charles Hunt and Jack Duncan-Bloom scored the other Keydet goals throughout the game
*James Boynewicz led the VMI defense with three caused turnovers while AJ Stamos and Luke McDonald both forced two
*VMI goalie Adam Norris finished with 11 saves during the game while SHU's Alex Pazienza was credited with 12 in the win
*Sacred Heart won the possession battle by claiming 20 of 29 faceoff attempts which led to an unbalanced shot count in the Pioneers' favor, 53-32. The Keydets also struggled maintaining offensive rhythm with 21 turnovers throughout
*Pioneer leading scorer Morgan O'Reilly finished second to Tucker Spencer in goals with a hat trick. James Moran also had a pair of goals for Sacred Heart.
 
VMI Head Coach James Purpura
"Credit to Sacred Heart - there's a reason they're at the top of the conference currently. They are a senior-led program and skilled at every possession. We were able to battle them tough, but being at the possession deficit that we were, they were able to open the game up. We traded goals back and forth in the third but couldn't get runs generated. The possession imbalance started at the face off X with them winning 20 of the 29 face offs. We've got to get consistent stops when we are not winning at the X.
 
"Offensively, I thought we had a lot of looks but we didn't shoot the ball well enough to execute. Our extra man was efficient, going to for three and we were able to score off the ride and generate some non 6v6 goals. We have to get back to the basics and fundamentals. We are able to hit the road here for Spring Break and it will be a good opportunity for guys to be around each other and work to improve."
 
Up Next
The Keydets face a quick turnaround as they head to take on MAAC foe Mount St. Mary's Wednesday at noon in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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