Garden City, N.Y. - The top-seeded Adelphi men's lacrosse team suffered just its second loss in 2019, again to Le Moyne College by two goals, 11-9, in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship game Saturday afternoon at Motamed Field.
It was Adelphi (16-2) who held a 4-2 lead after the opening 12 minutes of action, but two late goals from the Dolphins (15-2) made it an even contest after the first quarter.
Gordon Purdie, Jr. got the Panthers on the board first but the home team fell victim to late turnovers, giving Le Moyne offensive opportunities down the stretch to make it four-all after 15 minutes of action.
The visitors held the Brown and Gold scoreless for nearly ten minutes as they took hold of the lead in the second frame, going ahead by two tallies until Ian Kirby found the back of the net to cut the deficit in half.
It was the game-high scorer Matt Hutchings who notched his hat trick goal before heading into the break, giving Le Moyne a two-goal advantage at halftime.
The 'Phins, who captured their 14th conference title this year, used their first half momentum to score the next four goals, padding their lead to make it an 11-5 game with under five left in the third quarter.
Purdie, Jr. and Kirby broke the silence for Adelphi, scoring the final two of the frame, but the home team still trailed by four with just one quarter of regulation remaining.
Adelphi rattled off four unanswered goals between the third and fourth quarters, all the while holding Le Moyne scoreless for the last quarter. Brendan McDougal came up with four big stops in 15 minutes, but the Dolphins were able to play keep-away for a period of time, not allowing the Panthers to have more chances on offense.
Michael Paccione and John Arcidiacono scored the lone tallies in the final frame, but it was not enough to overcome the visitor lead.
The Panthers appeared in the finals for the sixth time in the 10-year history of being apart of the NE10, adding their third runner-up trophy to the cabinet.
The team awaits their fate in the NCAA Tournament, which will be determined Sunday evening with the NCAA Selection Show. The men's show will air at 7:30 p.m. with the women's show following at 8:30 p.m. In this week's regional rankings, Adelphi appeared in the number two slot, sitting behind the top-ranked Dolphins.
About Adelphi Athletics
A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009.
Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off.
Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear at our licensed team store.
