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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Senior
Hunter Burdick produced a career-best eight points on three goals and five assists as host Nazareth closed out its regular-season men's lacrosse schedule Saturday with a stunning 11-7 victory over 18th-ranked Stevens on Senior Day at Golden Flyer Stadium.
The loss was the first of the season in Empire 8 Conference action for the Ducks, who had an eight-game winning streak snapped. Stevens is 13-4 overall and 7-1 in conference play. Nazareth improved to 9-8 overall and 6-2 in the E8. Despite the loss, Stevens will be the top seed for next week's E8 Tournament. Nazareth also will be the third seed and will visit second-seeded Ithaca in the first round of the E8 Tournament Wednesday at a time to be determined. Stevens will host fourth-seeded Hartwick. The championship game is Saturday.
Against Stevens Saturday, the Golden Flyers churned out their most efficient game of the season as they had a 45-27 advantage in shots, won 17 of 22 face-offs and scooped up 32 ground balls to just 14 for the Ducks. Nazareth scored first and never trailed, taking a 3-1 lead in the first quarter and extending it to 5-2 by halftime. The Golden Flyers maintained their three-goal cushion in the third quarter with an 8-5 advantage.
In addition to Burdick's eight points, senior
Nick Arnold scored two goals as did juniors
Chris Murphy and
Paul Walter. Senior
Joe Eiskant and freshman
Kevin Hussey also scored.
Senior
Seth DeLisle took all of Nazareth's face-offs and helped the Golden Flyers dominate the time of possession. Arnold scored first at 12:35 of the first off an assist from sophomore
Jack Crowley. After Stevens tied the score, Nazareth got goals from Murphy and Burdick before the quarter ended to go up 3-1.
In the second quarter, Walter delivered a man-up goal midway through the period and Hussey scored unassisted for his fourth tally of the season to extend the lead to 5-1. The Ducks closed to within 5-2 late in the half and had a chance to close the gap further, but Nazareth's freshman goalie,
Alex Winkler, saved a shot by Stevens' Alec Caseiro that enabled Nazareth to maintain its lead.
The Ducks scored three times in the third quarter, but Nazareth answered each time with goals by Eiskant, Murphy and Burdick. Arnold's second goal of the game off an assist from Burdick in the fourth quarter extended Nazareth's lead to 9-5, but Stevens got goals from Tim Leahey and Connor McKeon 1:11 apart to draw within 9-7 with more than six minutes left.
Nazareth stayed resilient as Burdick scored unassisted with 4:12 left and then recorded his fifth assist of the game on
Paul Walter's game-sealing goal with 1:42 left. Winkler also played a key role in the fourth by making six of his 10 saves for the game.
Before the game, the Golden Flyers recognized their seven seniors competing at home for the final time -- Arnold,
Andre Bond, Burdick,
Brian Defliese, DeLisle, Eiskant and
Luke Longo. In addition to winning 17 face-offs, DeLisle had 12 ground balls. Longo had four ground balls and three caused turnovers.