YORK, PA-The York College men's lacrosse team used a Jimmy Mancusi (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon) goal with 1:04 left in the game to defeat Catholic University 9-8 in Capital Athletic Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field. Mancusi's goal was his first of the season and broke an 8-8 tie as YCP won their first contest in 2001.
The Spartans jumped out to an early 2-0 lead as Bill Bryson (Fairfax, VA/Chantilly) scored at the 9:30 mark and Ryan Wynne (Mt. Airy, Md/South Carroll) followed that up with a goal less than a minute later to put the hosts up two. Catholic responded with two goals of their own to knot the score before Zach Fine (Ellicot City, MD/Mt.Hebron) scored with :57 seconds left in the quarter to give the green and white a 3-2 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Each squad scored a goal in the second period as the Spartans took a 4-3 lead into the half.
York began the third period scoring with a Wynne goal with 5:56 left in the period. The Cardinals responded just 32 seconds later but the Spartans would proceed to score three goals within a two minute period to take a comfortable 8-4 lead into the final stanza.
That lead would evaporate as the Cardinals took advantage of six Spartan penalties to tie the game with 3:34 remaining in regulation. That would set the stage for Mancusi's heroics as the Spartans would overcome the Cardinals fourth quarter momentum to earn the win.
Wynne led the scoring for the Spartans as he had three goals. Bryson added two goals and one assist while Jason Kemper (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air), Nick Smith (Crofton, MD/Arundel), Fine and Mancusi each scored one goal for YCP. Scott Hermes (New Freedom, PA/Mervo) dished out a team-high three assists while Smith and Andrew Marsh (Vienna, VA/Flint Hill School) each added one helper. Kemper played an outstanding all around game as he won 12 of his 20 face offs and picked up a team-high eight ground balls.
Matt Lambert led the Cardinals with four goals and one assist while Jamie Lynch added three goals and one assist.
Sophomore Evan Mazzocchi (Swarthmore, PA/Strath Haven) was stellar in goal for the green and white as he picked up his first collegiate win. Mazzocchi made a career-high 24 saves in his 60 minutes of action. Rob Jablonski took the loss in goal for CUA as he made 11 saves for the Cardinals.
Spartan head coach Phil Avillo was pleased that his troops perservered
"The boys believed in themselves and hung in there," said Avillo.
This is the second straight year that the Spartans have beaten the Cardinals to earn their first win of the year.
York, now 1-3 and 1-2 in the CAC, return to action on Wednesday when they host Marymount University for a CAC contest. Game time is set for 3:30 pm.