LAX Shuts Out DWC in Second Half, Advances to NECC Finals

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Top-seeded Mitchell College defeated fourth-seeded Daniel Webster College by a 10-5 final in the semifinals of the 2015 New England Collegiate Conference Men's Lacrosse Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Field. 

The Mariners (7-8 overall) held a slim 6-5 lead at halftime but shut the Eagles (6-8 overall) out in the second half. Mitchell goalie JD LeMay stopped all five shots on goal in the final 30 minutes and finished with 10 saves in the game. 

A.J. Fialkowski paced the Mitchell offense with three goals while Tyler Kradas added a pair. Daniel Webster's Tommy Hanley and Dan Knupfer each scored twice while David Downie contributed a goal.

Fialkowski put the Mariners on the scoreboard just under five minutes into the contest, and Joshua Muckle followed suit five minutes later when Jordan Cook found him wide open on the doorstep to make it 2-0. Hanley had the answer for the Eagles with a man-up tally at the 1:51 mark, and Downie tied the game with an unassisted marker with 24 seconds to go in the quarter.

Mitchell never fell behind as goals from Kradas and Dan DiGioia brought the lead back to two early in the second period. The Mariners upped the margin to 6-3 on a scoop shot by Cook with 6:17 remaining in the half, but Hanley and Knupfer kept the Eagles in the game with scores in the final 3:02 to cut the deficit to one at the break.

The Mariners dominated possession in the third quarter but had little to show for it until Fialkowski bounced a shot past goalie Curtis Larade with just over five minutes to play. McCarthy Brodaski tacked on another goal just over two minutes later, swiping in a loose ball in front of the crease to extend the lead to 8-5.

After being limited to only one shot in the third quarter, the Eagles came out firing in the fourth. Daniel Webster attempted 14 shots in the final stanza but put only four on net, and each time LeMay was there to stonewall the attack. 

Evan Gennell opened the fourth quarter with a score to put Mitchell ahead 9-5. Kradas added the game's final goal with a pull from way out to complete the scoring with 7:55 to play. 

Mitchell defender Brian Jordan picked up seven ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers while Will Ryan-Johnson chipped in with five ground balls. Muckle went 10-for-18 in face-offs for the Mariners and finished with five ground balls as well.

Larade finished with 10 saves in goal for the Eagles against 37 shots. Brandyn Torrey scooped up seven ground balls and caused a game-high five turnovers to lead the DWC defense.

Mitchell advances to the title game and will host the winner of tonight's other semifinal game between third-seeded Regis College and second-seeded Becker College on Saturday, May 2 at 5 p.m.