Buccellato nets season-high six goals to lead Purple Knights

Boxscore 

RINDGE, N.H. (April 14, 2009) - Saint Michael's College held off two second-half comeback efforts from Franklin Pierce University to claim a 15-8 victory in Northeast-10 Conference men's lacrosse action at Sodexo Field this afternoon as part of "Pierce Pride Week" at the University.

Freshman Andrew Buccellato (Glen Rock, N.J./Don Bosco Prep), who entered the game with seven goals in his first collegiate season; netted a season-high six off the bench to lead Saint Michael's to its second-straight win. Four of Buccellato's goals came in the second half, including two in the final ten minutes of regulation after Franklin Pierce had crept back within four (12-8) after two markers to open the fourth quarter. He also chipped in with five ground balls.

Senior Bryan Zaremba (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) added three goals and an assist for four points for the Purple Knights, while freshman Kevin Hunt (Johnstown, N.Y./Johnstown) posted a goal and two assists for three points. Senior Jake Previte (Cohasset, Mass./Cohasset) dished a game-high three assists for SMC, while junior Charlie Niznansky (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield-Ludlowe) chipped in with two goals.

Sophomore Michael Hagerty (Canton, Mass./Canton) and freshman Matt Forzaglia (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y./Croton-Harmon) led Franklin Pierce with two goals each. Forzaglia also contributed six ground balls. Sophomore D.A. Ivie (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) chipped in with a goal and assist.

Freshman Ian O'Brien (Gansevoort, N.Y./Saratoga Springs) played all 60 minutes in goal for Saint Michael's and finished with nine saves to preserve the victory. Sophomore Shea Campbell (Centerport, N.Y./Harborfields) matched a season-high with 14 saves over 59:40 for Franklin Pierce.

Franklin Pierce opened the scoring with Forzaglia's first goal, assisted by senior Ryan Boller (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan), 4:12 into the match. Saint Michael's answered with four-straight goals, including two from Zaremba in a 20-second span with less than five minutes left in the first quarter, to take the lead for good and carry a 4-1 advantage into the second.

Hagerty drew Franklin Pierce within two with his first goal of the day 1:56 into the second quarter. After Niznansky scored for Saint Michael's less than a minute later, the Ravens again drew within two goals (5-3) with an unassisted goal by Ivie with 11:26 remaining in the half. The Purple Knights scored three of the final four goals of the half, including two by Buccellato, to carry a 9-4 lead into the break. 

Saint Michael's carried that momentum into the early portion of the second half, netting the first two goals of the quarter from Zaremba and Buccellato, to open a six-goal lead (10-4) with 9:06 left in the third. Franklin Pierce closed back within four after two goals in a 37-second span, the latter from Hagerty with 5:42 remaining.

Saint Michael's scored the last two goals of the third to regain its six-goal lead (12-6) after Buccellato's fourth goal with 1:10 remaining. Franklin Pierce again drew within four (12-8) after a goal from freshman Jacob Ferreira (Kennebunk, Maine/Kennebunk) with 10:56 left, but Buccellato sparked the Purple Knights deciding 3-0 run to end the game with his fifth and sixth markers.

Franklin Pierce (1-8, 1-5 NE-10) is back in action on Saturday when it hosts Saint Anselm College at 1 p.m., as part of "Rocky the Raven Fun Day." A family-friendly carnival will take place in the DiGrigorio parking lot, adjacent to Sodexo Field, from 12-3 p.m. The carnival will feature several games activities and on-field games, contests and giveaways are planned for the event as well. Saint Michael's (5-5, 3-3 NE-10) visits top-ranked Le Moyne College on Saturday at 1 p.m.