Strong Finish Leads Pioneers to Second Straight Victory

The Alfred State lacrosse team outscored Houghton 7-2 in the final 23 minutes of the game to rally for a 15-13 victory on Wednesday afternoon. The Pioneers even up their record at 2-2 with their second straight win.

Tyler Cook (Corning East), Nicolas Covelli (Wappinger Falls), and Joe Johnson (Churchville Chili) all netted goals in the 1st quarter as the Pioneers and Highlanders traded scores.

Patrick Matkoski (West Genesee) and Cook scored in the 2nd for Alfred State but Houghton broke a 5-5 tie with three straight goals to in the final 2:01 to take a 8-5 lead into the half. Paul Chapman scored two of his three first half goals in the final stretch of the half.

Houghton scored early in the 3rd to grab their biggest lead of the day, 9-5, before the Pioneers started to chip away. The Pioneers ended the quarter outscoring the Highlanders 6-3 to tie the game. Johnson scored twice while Matkoski, Aaron Buck (Churchville Chili), Jared Gates (Hilton), and Dominic Coon (Livonia) all found the back of the net once. Chapman netted all three goals for the Higlanders.

Chapman's 7th goal of the game Houghton their final lead of the day. Matkoski completed his hat trick to tie the game before Brian Mitchell (Lake Shore), Joshua Aviles (Middletown), and Aaron Buck taillied three goals in two minutes to give the Pioneers the lead for good. Houghton added a goal with just over three minutes remaining but couldn't get any closer.

Buck led the Pioneers with six points (2 goals and four assists) while Johnson had three goals and two assists. Matkoski had a hat trick, Cook tallied two goals, an assist, and seven groundballs, and Ryan Amidon (Fayetteville Manlius) made 13 saves.

Chapman led Houghton with 7 goals and an assist while Austin Andryshak and Jared Limbeck tallied two goals and two assists each.

The blue & gold head to North Carolina next week where they will play a pair of games. They battle Methodist next Wednesday and Greensboro on March 18th.