| 5/15/2005 4:36:45 PM

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GENESEO, NY -- For the second straight year the RIT men's lacrosse team won the ECAC Upstate Division III Men's Lacrosse championship. The #4 Tigers defeated #2 Hartwick 11-6 in the title game. RIT goalie John Foley (Guelph, Ontario/Our Lady of Lourdes) (Guelph, Ontario/Our Lady of Lourdes), who made 18 saves in the championship game, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.

The Hawks scored the first goal of the game coming with 13:10 to play in the first quarter on an unassisted tally by Mike Debrossy.

RIT tied the scored with 1:08 to play on the extra man. Brandon Wilkin (Penfield, NY/Penfield) (Penfield, NY/Penfield) took a feed from Joe Argese (Jordan, NY/Jordan-Elbridge) (Jordan, NY/Jordan-Elbridge) and ripped a shot past Hartwick goalie Jason Fautas.

The Tigers closed out the half with a four-goal run, leading 5-1 at the break. Andrew Ruocco (Corning, NY/Corning East) (Corning, NY/Corning East), who had fou goals and two assists, had two of RIT's four goals coming at 10:56 and 6:22 of the second quarter. David Thering (Fairport, NY/Fairport) (Fairport, NY/Fairport) and Zach Bednarz (Webster, NY/Webster) (Webster, NY/Webster-Schroeder) completed the second-quarter scoring.

Ruocco kept the momentum going for the Tigers in the third quarter, scoring on an assist from Wes Adam (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) with 12:58 to play in the third.

After a Devin Poole (Geneva, NY/Geneva) goal brought Hartwick to within 6-2 with 9:15 to play in the third junior Colin Jesien (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) scored what would prove to be the game-winning goal. He took a feed from Ruocco in the crease and juked Fautas for the goal and a 7-2 lead.

RIT outscored Hartwick 4-3 in the fourth quarter on goals from Ruocco, Jesien and long-stick middie Eric Peifer (Hempfield, PA/Hempfield) (Hempfield, PA/Hempfield).

Brian Prescott (Duxbury, MA/Duxbury), Mike Rose (Cheshire, CT/Cheshire) and Devin Poole each had goals for the Hawks in the fourth quarter but it was too little too late as RIT was able to hang on for their second straight ECAC Championship.

Ruocco led RIT with four goals and two assists, while Brandon Wilkin (Penfield, NY/Penfield) added a goal and four assists. Colin Jesien (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) had three goals and John Foley (Guelph, Ontario/Our Lady of Lourdes) made 18 saves.

Devin Poole led Hartwick with three goals and Mike Debrossy (Westfield, CT/Westfield) had a goal and an assist. Jason Fautas (Holtsville, NY/Sachem) finished the da with 14 saves.

RIT finishes their season with a 9-7 record while Hartwick closes out the 2005 campaign with an 11-7 record.