Box Score BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – Norwich University men's lacrosse junior attacker Payden Masaracchia (Enola, Pa.) amassed more than half of the team's offensive output in its 11-6 non-conference victory over Massachusetts Maritime Academy on Wednesday afternoon at Cleans Harbor Stadium.
Norwich has now posted back-to-back road victories over the last two days to improve its record to 3-2 overall. The Cadets held the Buccaneers to their lowest total offense of the season as the hosts fell to 1-2 on the year.
Norwich started the game on a 3-0 run in the opening 15 minutes of play initiated by sophomore attacker Parker Campbell's (Rockaway, N.J.) 10th goal of the season. Masaracchia notched his first marker of the game less than a minute later to extend the lead to 2-0. Senior midfielder Russell Gilligan (Fountain Hills, Ariz.) finished off a pass from junior middie Clyde Tamburro (Elizabethtown, Pa.) to close out the first-quarter scoring.
Mass. Maritime and the Cadets would evenly alternate goals during the second quarter with each team netting three tallies.
Senior midfielder John Jennings (Riva, Md.) notched his fourth of the season to answer the Bucs' first goal of the game to start the period before Masaracchia added two more off assists from senior attacker Jack Anzalone (Ridgewood, N.J.) and Campbell to send the Cadets into the break leading 6-3.
Norwich took control of the game in the third quarter through excellent team defense and great production from senior goalie Brandon Milburn (Bridgewater, N.J.). The team defense forced the hosts into a shot clock violation early in the quarter, caused three turnovers, forced three failed clears, and had Milburn stop four shots while outscoring the Bucs 4-1 in the frame.
Campbell and senior midfielder Kyle Maxim (Dracut, Mass.) scored on the front side of Mass. Maritime's lone goal of the period while Masaracchia posted his fourth and fifth goals of the game on the back end to give the Cadets a commanding 10-4 lead.
The defense remained solid in the final quarter holding the hosts to just a pair of goals early on and then Masaracchia closed out the scoring with just seven clicks on the clock for his sixth of the game and team-leading 12th goal of the season.
Mass. Maritime held the edge in virtually every single statistical category except the one that may have tipped the scales in favor of the Cadets…saves. Milburn turned in his second-consecutive stellar performance registering 18 saves while allowing just six goals against to improve his record to 2-0 on the season. The Norwich offense was opportune scoring on half of its shots on goal.
Masaracchia scored his six tallies on just eight shots on goal while also picking up four ground balls. Campbell posted a four-point afternoon scoring twice while adding a pair of assists. Jennings and Maxim each scored once while also recording an assist. Face-off specialist Chris Ward (Westfield, Mass.) was 9-of-17 at the X and led the team with nine ground balls. Junior defenseman Sean Wallace (Sandy Hook, Conn.) led the defense with three caused turnovers.
Norwich will return home for its next game on Saturday when it welcomes Southern Maine University to Northfield for a 1 p.m. start.
