Sparkill, N.Y. - Ryan Christensen tallied the overtime game-winning goal, his seventh on the day, as the St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Lacrosse outlasted Caldwell University, 10-9 on Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field.

The victory moves STAC to 3-2 on the season, while Caldwell falls to 1-4.

Freshman Ryan Christensen netted seven goals on the afternoon, while Braiden Struss picked up two goal and Steven Apicella scored one for the maroon and gold. Caldwell was led by Jayden Paladino, who found the back of the net on four occasions.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Caldwell opened the scoring with an Owen Healey goal just 2:24 into the match to make it 1-0.
• Ryan Christensen answered for the Spartans with his first of the day to tie things at 1-1.
• A Jayden Paladino tally with seven minutes to play in the first quarter put the Cougars back on top, 2-1.
• STAC opened the second stanza with an early strike of their own, as Ryan Christensen found the back of the cage to knot things at 2-2.
• Jayden Paladino would broke the stalemate with a man-up goal, his second of the day, to give Caldwell back the lead, 3-2.
• Back-to-back tallies by Ryan Christensen, which gave him the hat-trick and his fourth of the afternoon, flipped the scoreboard once again in favor of the Spartans, 4-3.
• The Cougars answered with consecutive goals of their own to close the first-half scoring, as Michael Brown and Gavin Starr beat goalie Craig Peavy to give the visitors a 5-4 lead at the break.
• When the teams returned to the field for third quarter action, it would be the man of the hour, Ryan Christensen, putting yet another ball by the Cougars' goalie, for his fifth of the game, to even things at 5-5.
• Jayden Paladino then picked up a pair of goals for Caldwell, with a Braiden Struss goal sandwiched in between to put the Cougars back in the lead at 7-6.
• Ryan Christensen and Braiden Struss put up the next two goals for STAC, as the maroon and gold took back the lead, 8-7.
• A Michael Brown goal, with two minutes to play in the frame, tied the game for the eighth time, this time at 8-8.
• The Spartans and Cougars kept things knotted up for most of the fourth quarter, but STAC took a 9-8 lead on a Steven Apicella goal with 2:30 to play.
• However, Caldwell answered with a Jason Staudte goal in the final 90 seconds of regulation to square things at 9-9 and force overtime.
• In the extra session, Ryan Christensen would play the hero of the day, scoring his seventh goal with just over two minutes to play in the first OT, to give St. Thomas Aquinas the thrilling 10-9 sudden death victory.

 INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• STAC tallied 50 shots, with 29 going on goal, as Ryan Christensen recorded 23 shots, 11 making their way to the net.
• Austin Palen scooped up 12 ground balls, with Reno Molina grabbing four. Daniel Smith caused two turnovers.
• Palen also won 17-of-22 faceoffs for St. Thomas Aquinas.
• Craig Peavy (W, 2-2) made 11 saves on 20 shots faced for the Spartans. Connor Reed came on briefly in the third quarter in relief of Peavy, facing no shots against.

UP NEXT

STAC returns to action on Wednesday, March 15 (4:00 p.m.), as the Spartan take on crosstown rivals Dominican University at the Torne Valley Sports Complex in Hillburn, N.Y.