Anthony Basile scored two goals, including the overtime game-winner
11
Winner Nazareth NAZARETH 11-8
10
Stevens STEVENS 14-5
Winner
Nazareth NAZARETH
11-8
11
Final
10
Stevens STEVENS
14-5
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT F
Nazareth NAZARETH 0 6 2 2 1 11
Stevens STEVENS 3 2 4 1 0 10

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

EMPIRE 8 CHAMPS!

Basile scores game-winner in overtime as Nazareth wins 11-10

Box | Updated stats
HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Sophomore Anthony Basile scored the game-winning goal with 1:44 left in overtime Saturday to lift visiting and third-seeded Nazareth to an 11-10 victory over top-seeded Stevens in the Empire 8 Conference championship game for men's lacrosse.

The victory, Nazareth's second straight in overtime, improved the Golden Flyers' record to 11-8 overall and gained them an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Nazareth won its 10th conference title and will be making its 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance. First-round pairings will be announced Sunday evening.

Basile's goal was his second of the game and 22nd of the season and came off a pass from senior Nick Arnold. Basile also assisted on the game-tying goal by Paul Walter late in the fourth quarter to force the overtime period.

Junior Seth DeLisle won 20 of 24 face-offs for Nazareth, including the key one to start the overtime. Nazareth was able to possess the ball for the entire extra period. Jack Crowley had two shots -- one that sailed wide and one that was saved by Stevens goalie Carson White. Senior Joe Eiskant scooped up the ground ball off Crowley's second shot and Basile scored about 10 seconds later on a shot from the left side of the crease.

To win the title, the Golden Flyers staged another dramatic comeback as they battled back from an early 4-0 deficit to go up 6-5 at the half. They later trailed 10-8 early in the fourth quarter before rallying again. The Golden Flyers followed a similar script in Wednesday's 14-13 overtime win at Ithaca, where they also fell behind 4-0 before winning on Luke Longo's overtime goal.

Eiskant was named the tournament MVP after contributing three goals and two assists against Stevens.  DeLisle, Longo, and Nick Arnold joined Eiskant on the Empire 8 All-Tournament Team.

Walter also scored three times, while Basile and Nick Arnold each scored twice. Crowley also had a goal.

The Ducks scored three times in the first quarter and added another early in the second to go up 4-0. Nazareth finally broke through on an extra-man goal by Walter at 11:55 of the second off an assist by Hunter Burdick. Stevens scored again to go up 5-1, then Nazareth answered with five straight goals to close the half with a 6-5 lead.

First Esikant scored off a pass from Arnold, then Crowley scored 49 seconds later when he stuffed in a rebound off a shot by long-stick Brian Defliese. About two minutes after that, Walter scored in similar fashion as he converted a rebound off a shot by Eiskant.

With 3:23 left in the half, Burdick fed Basile for a goal that tied the score at 5-5. Then with :53 left, Eiskant gave Nazareth its first lead with a blast from the right edge.

Eiskant scored again -- his third goal of the game -- in the opening minute of the third quarter to extend the lead to 7-5. Stevens, however, rallied to score four times in the third quarter, including a pair of goals by Dean Peluso, to enable the Ducks to carry a 9-8 lead into the frenzied fourth quarter.

An extra-man goal by Stevens' Tim Leahey on his brother (Nazareth goalie Andrew Leahey) enabled Stevens to take a 10-8 lead in the opening minute of the fourth period. Nazareth got one back when Arnold score with 6:07 to go on a shot that squirted through the legs of Stevens goalie Carson White.

That set the stage for Walter's tying goal off an extra-man pass from Basile, which set up the overtime. DeLisle also won the face-off following Walter's goal and had a clear path to the goal, but his shot was saved by White. Stevens had the ball for the final minute-plus of regulation, but never was able to generate a shot as the period ended with Leahey scooping up a loose ball.

Nazareth had advantages in shots (40-23) and ground balls (42-21) and was a perfect 10-for-10 on clears. Alex Winkler started in goal and had one save, before giving way to Leahey in the second quarter. Leahey had three saves. DeLisle finished with 17 ground balls, while Longo and Burdick each had five.
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