Mike Scrafano vs. Shenandoah 3/3/18
Dan Gittis
8
Goucher GOU 6-5, 1-1 Landmark
9
Winner Elizabethtown ETOWN 4-5, 1-1 Landmark
Goucher GOU
6-5, 1-1 Landmark
8
Final
9
Elizabethtown ETOWN
4-5, 1-1 Landmark
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT F
Goucher GOU 0 1 3 4 0 8
Elizabethtown ETOWN 1 3 2 2 1 9

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Scrafano's OT winner elevates Blue Jays over Goucher

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- In danger of slipping to 0-2 in the Landmark Conference, Elizabethtown dug deep. Andrew Watts scored the game-tying goal with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter and Mike Scrafano's hat trick goal 1:21 into overtime lifted the Blue Jays to a 9-8 victory over Goucher at Wolf Field.

Though it wasn't a mathematical must-win for the Blue and Gray, it was an emotional one for a young squad looking to regain its footing after dropping five straight road games --three against nationally-ranked opponents.

Playing their first home game since March 3, the Blue Jays (4-5, 1-1 Landmark) were poised to bury the Gophers midway through the third quarter when Scrafano recorded his second goal of the day off a feed from Ben Hiltebeitel that made it 6-1.

Goucher had other ideas, however.

Matt Woodson scored twice in 1:27 and set up Pierce Bailey as the Gophers (6-5, 1-1) ended the quarter on a three-goal run to trim Elizabethtown's lead to 6-4.

Mike DiGenova's man-up goal less than two minutes into the fourth gave the Jays a slight reprieve, but the Gophers responded with three straight goals in 1:45 to tie the game at seven.

Goucher's defense came up with a big stop following Grant Lasorda's tying goal at 9:49, and after an extended offensive possession, Mason Gorman finished a pass from Woodson to give the Gophers their first lead of the afternoon, 8-7, with 5:33 left.

The visitors got another boost on the ensuing face off when Elizabethtown committed its third violation and was assessed a 30-second penalty. Blue Jay goalie Tom Mahoney stood tall, though, denying attempts from Lasorda and Gorman to put the ball back in his team's hands.

With the clock nearing three minutes, junior midfielder Andrew Watts --making his first start of the season-- blasted a shot past Goucher goalie Matt Messerle to knot the game at eight.

Goucher had the final possession in regulation, but shots from Gorman and Pierce Bailey were both off the mark, as the Blue Jays went to overtime for the first time since the 2016 Landmark title game.

Kyle Pienik, who had a huge afternoon, won his career-high 15th face off on 17 tries to begin the extra session and coach Chris Perzinski immediately called timeout to give the Jays their offensive orders.

Elizabethtown executed the plan to perfection just over a minute later when Austin Dews found Scrafano for the game-winner with 2:39 left in OT.

The Blue Jays were able to overcome 11 second-half turnovers, in large part because of Pienik's performance at the dot. As a team E-town won 16-of-21 and scooped up 31 ground balls, including a career-high 10 from Pienik, to Goucher's 21. The Gophers did outshoot the Jays 31-21.

DiGenova had a team-high four points for the Jays and joined Scrafano with a hat trick. Watts totaled two goals and Brandon Sankey also scored.

Mahoney wasn't tested nearly as often as he was Wednesday night at York when he made a school single-game record 27 saves, but when he was, the Hillsborough, N.J., native was excellent. Mahoney made 10 saves against the Gophers, while his counterpart, Messerle, had nine.

Woodson finished with two goals and two assists, and Zephan Harnish had a goal and a helper to lead the Gophers.

Elizabethtown heads to Frostburg State on Wednesday night for a non-conference matchup at 7.
 
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