DESPITE STRONG 2ND HALF, TIGERS FALL SHORT TO NO.3 GETTYSBURG

Game Box Score

Season Stats

GETTYSBURG, VA (March 18, 2006)–  On a windy afternoon on the campus of Gettysburg College, the Hampden-Sydney Tigers fell short by a score of 8-4 to the No. 3 team in all Division III lacrosse polls.  The win for the Bullets of Gettysburg improves their record to 4-0 and adds additional drama to their upcoming game against No. 2 ranked Middlebury College.  The Tigers loss drops their record to 3-2 as they begin to prepare for their conference opener against Roanoke next Saturday.

The games first score came just 20 seconds into the game as a slashing Brian Prior dodged hard towards the goal via a pass from Chase Stewart.  The Bullets would post a four spot in the first period while the Tigers were able only to muster just two shots in the same time frame.

Junior Michael Via (Virginia Beach, Norfolk Academy) scored first for Hampden-Sydney on an even strength goal at the 3:55 mark of the second period.  Gettysburg was quick to respond with another goal just over a minute later thanks to an unassisted goal by junior Jared Harriman.  Momentum would remain with the Bullets as the first half came to a close.  The Tigers were out shot by a margin of 16-11 while also falling short on ground balls by a margin of 18-8.

In the second half of play however, the Tigers would make the game interesting thanks to two man up goals at the 7:35 and 5:31 mark. The first of which was scored by junior Ryan Harrington (Plano, TX/Plano) and then by junior William Shell (Alexandria, VA/St. Stephen’s).  Both goals were assisted by senior Vince Smith (Palmyra, VA/St. Anne’s-Belfield), who would finish the day with three of the Tigers four assists.  Smith now leads the team with 17 assists on the year.

With the game at 7-3 in favor of the Bullets to start the fourth period, the Tigers started with a man advantage.  Hampden-Sydney failed to convert on the opportunity and would finish the afternoon two of six in extra man opportunities.  As for shots, the Tigers improved upon their first half shots, ending the game down only a shot 25-24. 

The Tigers would score one more goal at the 2:12 mark in the fourth quarter once again off of the stick of Michael Via.  The assist on the score was credited to junior Thomas Jennings (Murfreesboro, TN) but the game would end shortly thereafter by a score of 8-4.

Hampden-Sydney will open up their ODAC (Old Dominion Athletic Conference) play next Saturday March 18, 2006 at 1:00 against No. 10 Roanoke College at home.

-www.hsc.edu/athletics-