Wesleyan Nets 7-2 Victory Over Bowdoin in Men's Lacrosse First Round
Courtesy Wesleyan Sports Information
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. - Matching the score of the regular-season meeting between the teams four weeks earlier in Brunswick, Maine, Wesleyan extended its winning streak this season to 10 games with a 7-3 win over Bowdoin in the first round of the 2007 NESCAC Men's Lacrosse Championship.
Wesleyan advances to the semifinals at Tufts Saturday, May 5 where it will take on Little Three rival Williams, which defeated Amherst, 9-5. Wesleyan upended Williams by an 11-7 count during the regular-season and defeated the Ephs in a NESCAC first round game a year ago, 12-5. Tufts and Middlebury square off in the other semi-final.
Wesleyan got the game's opening three goals vs. Bowdoin, all in the first period, and held a 4-1 edge after 15 minutes. Freshman Jon Killeen initiated the scoring by picking up a rebound to put Wesleyan ahead for good at 8:55. Senior Mike Hines added a bouncer less than two minutes later to make it 2-0 and freshman Lonnie Blumenthal finished off the flurry by cutting to the net and receiving a sharp pass from sophomore Jason Ben-Eliyahu at 6:23. Though senior Matt Chadwick got Bowdoin on the board after catching a centering pass from senior Alex Weaver at 3:46, sophomore Adam Kirk's shot from long range found the net for Wesleyan for the 4-1 advantage.
After a scoreless second quarter, the Cardinals upped the margin to 6-1 with a pair of goals in the opening two minutes of the third stanza with juniors Grayson Connors and Dan Latzman doing the honors. Bowdoin responded with a pair of late goals just 13 seconds apart as first-year Adam Tracy finished off a fast break set up by a senior Kevin Mullins pass followed by a rush by defenseman sophomore Bryan Holden, who scooped up the ensuing faceoff and drove in for his second goal of the year.
Connors completed the day's scoring with his 21st goal of the season with Ben-Eliyahu assisting as Wesleyan netted the only goal of the fourth quarter. Wesleyan goalie Charlie Congleton recorded 10 saves on the afternoon while Bowdoin netminder Charles Legg had 12.
Wesleyan has played in the last three NESCAC championship games, losing each time to Middlebury.
