April 5, 2008

Fairfield, Conn. -

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When No. 5 Georgetown needed a goal most, the Hoyas went back to the team's two players who have led the team in scoring the last two years. After a two-goal lead over Fairfield was vanished, seniors Brendan Cannon (Haverford, Pa./The Haverford School) and Andrew Baird (Baltimore, Md./Loyola Blakefield) each scored goals in the final four minutes as the Hoyas topped the Stags 10-8 in front of a raucous crowd of 1,141 at Lessing Field.

The win, the sixth-straight for the Hoyas, improves their record to 7-2 overall and 3-0 in the ECAC Lacrosse League, while Fairfield falls to 3-6 and 1-3.

The Hoyas had taken an 8-6 lead after a goal from senior Chase Gahan (Cockeysville, Md./Loyola Blakefield), but back-to-back goals in the span of 18 seconds from Fairfield's Todd Baxter and Chris Ajemian tied the game at 8-all. The Hoyas, who struggled on face-offs all afternoon, moved sophomore Barney Ehrmann (Baltimore, Md./The Gilman School) to the X and he responded by winning three of the final four.

The Stags had a pair of chances to take the lead with about five minutes left, but shots were blocked and the Hoyas made a successful clear with 4:39 to play. Cannon took control on the left side and beat Fairfield goalie Joe Marra with a bouncing shot to take a 9-8 lead. Thirty seconds later, sophomore Chris Schuville (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor) fed Baird for his second goal of the game as the lead grew to 10-8.

Georgetown had led by two (7-5) after the third quarter, but Todd Baxter's goal pulled Fairfield to within one with 10:27 to play. Georgetown pushed the lead back to two goals when sophomore Cullen Molinari (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) took the ball from the top of the crease and sent a pass to the right to a wide open Gahan, who blistered a shot past Marra - his first goal of the season and the fourth of his career - with 8:46 to play.

Tied at 3-all at the half, the Hoyas scored four times in the third quarter to take a 7-5 lead. Two minutes into the quarter, sophomore Craig Dowd (East Northport, N.Y./Northport) sent a pass to the top of the crease to junior Todd Cochran (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga), who sent a low shot that beat Marra.

Fairfield tied the game 10 seconds later on a goal from Andrew Urqhart, but back-to-back Georgetown goals gave the Hoyas their biggest lead, 6-4. On a restart after a shot from sophomore Andrew Brancaccio (Chevy Chase, Md./Georgetown Prep) went high, Cannon found Baird on the right of the goal and he bounced a shot in at 12:25. Six minutes later, at 6:43, Baird assisted sophomore Ricky Mirabito (Binghamton, N.Y./Chenango Forks) as the lead grew to 6-4. Fairfield cut the lead to 6-5, but Mirabito took a feed on the left side of the goal from Dowd as GU took a 7-5 lead after three quarters.

The Hoyas had jumped on top three minutes into the game when Cochran took a pass at the top of the crease from freshman Max Seligmann (Essex Falls, N.J./Delbarton). Cochran took three steps to his left and blasted a shot from eight yards out that beat Fairfield goalie Jeff Cilente.

Three Fairfield penalties gave the Hoyas man-up opportunities and Georgetown went aggressively at Cilente and Fairfield's second goalie, Joe Marra, but the goalies made three saves in the first quarter and a goal from Ryan Mulford kept the teams tied after one quarter.

A goal from Fairfield's Travis Nelson gave the Stags a 2-1 lead three minutes into the second quarter, but back-to-back goals from Georgetown moved the Hoyas into a 3-2 advantage. After a quick restart in the Hoya end with 10 minutes to play, Cannon sent a quick pass to the right of the goal and Dowd bounced it past to tie the game. With 8:41 to play in the half, Cannon took the ball on the far side of the field, raced in toward goal and bounced a shot past Marra as GU took a 3-2 lead. Georgetown found itself two-men down after a pair of penalties were called with one minute left in the half. Senior goalie Miles Kass (Rye, N.Y./Hotchkiss) made a save after Fairfield's shot and the Hoyas had a sent the ball to their end, but not clear and a goal from Chris Ajemian tied the game at 3-all. The Hoyas appeared to have taken a 4-3 lead heading into halftime, but a goal from Cannon was called back on a questionable interference call.

Cannon scored two goals and had two assists to lead the Hoyas, while Dowd added a goal and two assists and Baird had two goals and one assist. Cochran and MIrabito added two goals apiece for the Hoyas, who took 43 shots. GU was 8-of-22 on face-offs and collected 40 ground balls.

Georgetown hits the road again next weekend, playing a key ECAC League game against Loyola on Saturday, April 12. Face-off is slated for 1 p.m.