| 3/4/2006 3:03:53 PM
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ROCHESTER, NY - The RIT men's lacrosse team recorded its largest winning margin in nearly nine years, as the squad exploded for 24 goals in a 24-3 win over Eastern Connecticut on a cool, sunny Saturday afternoon at the RIT Turf Field. RIT improves to 2-0 on the year.
The Tigers outscored Eastern Connecticut 17-1 over the middle quarters to build a 22-2 lead.
Sophomore Andrew Ruocco (Corning, NY/Corning East) (Corning, NY/Corning East) exploded for a career 10 points on four goals and six assists. The six assists were also a career-high. Senior David Thering (Fairport, NY/Fairport) (Fairport, NY/Fairport) recorded eight points on two goals and six assists. Eric Pritchard (Webster, NY/Webster) (Webster, NY/Webster) scored six times for the Tigers, who never trailed in the contest.
RIT jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first quarter. Ruocco opened the scoring just 1:11 in, and the avalanche of goals would soon follow. Pritchard tallied twice in a row in a two-minute span to make it 3-0 Tigers. Sophomore Wes Adam (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) (Lafayette, NY/Lafayette) tallied his first goal of the year halfway through the quarter to put RIT up four goals. Chris Elrod cut the Tiger lead to 4-1 with 2:18 in the quarter, but Ruocco tallied his second of the day less than a minute later to give RIT a 5-1 lead.
Scott Farress (Webster, NY/Webster) (Webster, NY/Webster) scored the first of his three goals on the afternoon to put the Tigers up 6-1 less than a minute into the second quarter. Stephen Papa (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) (Niskayuna, NY/Niskayuna) scored the Tigers' seventh goal of the day. After the Warriors' Pete Hamilton scored to make it 7-2, the Tigers scored the game's next 17 goals. Farress made it 8-2 at the 7:33 mark of the second and 13 seconds later, Pritchard got his third to make it 9-2.
David Demuth (Jordan, NY/Jordan-Elbridge) scored his first goal of the year to put RIT up 10-2 with 3:13 in the half. The Tigers closed the half out by scoring three more times in the final two minutes on goals by Ruocco, Pritchard and Thering, making the score 13-2 at the break.
RIT outscored the Warriors 9-0 in the third quarter. Papa, Farress, Pritchard, Thering and Ruocco scored consecutive goals to give RIT an 18-2 lead. Demuth, who had five career goals entering today's game, exploded for four consecutive tallies over the final 3:48 of the quarter to put RIT up 20.
Pritchard tallied his sixth goal of the day midway through the fourth quarter. Adam and Tim Griffin (Camillus, NY/West Genesee) (Camillus, NY/West Genesee) combined on the final goal for the Tigers, giving them a 24-2 lead.
John Foley (Guelph, ON/Our Lady of Lourdes) (Guelph, ON/Our Lady of Lourdes) started in net for the Tigers, stopping six shots in three quarters of play. Brad Conlon (Ottawa, ON/Bridgeton Academy) (Ottawa, ON/Bridgeton Academy) and Alex VanderEls (Fairfax, VA/W.T. Woodson) (Fairfax, VA/W.T. Woodson) shared time in the fourth quarter.
The Tiger defense was exceptionally stout, holding the Warriors to just 10 shots in the game and harassing the Eastern Connecticut attack all afternoon.
RIT out-shot Eastern Connecticut 36-10. The Tigers corralled 60 ground balls and were 22-for-30 on face-offs on the day. Jacob Cannan (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) (Irondequoit, NY/Irondequoit) was especially prolific on the draws, winning 11-of-16 face-offs.
Joe Argese (Jordan, NY/Jordan-Elbridge) (Jordan, NY/Jordan-Elbridge), Griffin and Colin Jesien (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) (Cambridge, MD/Cambridge-S. Dorchester) recorded two assists each in the win. Garrett Johnson (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield) (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield) recorded his first collegiate assist for RIT.
Pete Hamilton scored twice for the Warriors, who fall to 0-1 on the season.
RIT is back in action on Wednesday, as they play Muhlenberg College in Sylvan Park, Fla at 1 p.m..
