Brookhaven, N.Y. - Senior Billy Richardson's goal with eight seconds on the clock lifted the Dowling College men's lacrosse team to a 12-11 win over Chestnut Hill College this evening in a East Coast Conference Championship Semifinal. The Golden Lions (12-3) advance to face LIU Post in the Championship Round this Saturday.
Richardson finished with a season high five goals to lead all scorers. Senior Tom Cleary recorded four goals with three Golden Lions netting single tallies.
The Golden Lions fell behind early with Chestnut Hill's Michael Meinychenko netting the only goals for either team in the opening frame. The Griffins went ahead 4-0 with two early goals to start the second quarter. Cleary's unassisted goal with just over nine minutes left in the half sparked a 5-0 run giving the Golden Lions their first lead of the day, 5-4. CHC's Alec Damback dished to George Markey to knot the game at 5 with less than three minutes remaining. The Griffins went into the break leading 6-5 with a goal from Zachary Donnelly with less than a minute on the clock.
Richardson opened up the second half with his second goal of the day was quickly followed with a score form Cleary putting the Golden Lions ahead 7-6. Back-to-back goals gave lead the lead back, 7-8 as the two team traded goals to close out the third quarter with Dowling behind 9-8.
After the Golden Lions tied the game at 9-9 with a goal from Cleary to start the final quarter, the Griffins snuck two straight past DC keeper Frank Sommers taking an 11-9 lead with under four minutes remaining in the game. Senior Matt Crough took a pass from Chris Stemke to register his lone goal of the day with 1:28 on the clock inching the Golden Lions back to within one, 11-10. Sophomore Michael Fitzpatrick won the ensuing faceoff and following a Dowling timeout, Richardson found the back of the net tying the game at 11 with 30 seconds remaining. Fitzpatrick, who finished 22 of 27 at the X, came up again with a big win for the Golden Lions and after head coach Tim Boyle called his final time out with 15 ticks left, Richardson fired a shot off Chestnut Hill keeper Joseph Donnelly that found its way into the net for the game winner with just eight seconds remaining on the clock.
Sommers finished the day with nine saves with his counterpart Donnelly recording 16. Long stick midfielder Sheldon Burns caused a game high four turnovers while scooping up five groundballs.
The Golden Lions outshot the Griffins 51-29 and held a 39 to 25 advantage in groundballs.
The top seeded Golden Lions look to avenge their only loss of ECC play when they take on the Pioneers at LIU Post on Saturday, May 3rd at 3:00 p.m.
Provided by the Dowling Sports Information Department.
