Farmingdale State 9, Bridgeport 8
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. | Senior
Connor Murtha (Moriches, N.Y.) registered his first collegiate hat trick Wednesday night, and scored the first two goals to break a halftime deadlock to lift the Farmingdale State College men's lacrosse team to a 9-8 victory over NCAA Division II institution, University of Bridgeport.
Murtha's goal at the 9:37 mark of the third quarter off a pass from junior attack
Joey Forchelli (Seaford, N.Y.) gave the Rams (2-0) a 7-6 lead that it would not relinquish. Murtha finished off his hat trick 4:25 later by converting a feed from senior midfielder
Amir Slaughter (North Babylon, N.Y.) to push FSC ahead by two over the Purple Knights (0-1). Senior
Casey Fortunato (Northport, N.Y.) found the back of the net in the final minute of the frame to send the home side into the fourth quarter with a 9-6 edge.
Bridgeport registered extra-man goals at the 12:43 and 0:05 marks of the final quarter, but the final face-off went without either team gaining possession to allow Farmingdale State to remain undefeated on the young season.
The teams played even throughout the first half, as they were deadlocked at 2-2 after one quarter before heading into the halftime break knotted at 6-all. A man-up goal by Forchelli off a pass from Fortunato, followed by Murtha's first tally of the afternoon off an assist from classmate
Tommy Mai (Islip, N.Y.), pushed FSC ahead 5-3 with 5:22 remaining in the first half, before the Purple Knights scored twice within the next 57 seconds to bring the teams even once more. Mai's goal with 3:39 left in the second quarter nudged Farmingdale State ahead once more, with UB answering 31 seconds later to account for the 6-6 tally at the break.
Forchelli's four-point outing (g, 3a) led all scorers, with Mai and Fortunato finishing with a goal and assist apiece. The Farmingdale State defense caused 18 of Bridgeport's 33 turnovers, including five by junior long-stick midfielder
Sean Lawson (Mattituck, N.Y.), four by sophomore defender
Matt Durnin (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) and three apiece by senior
William Henry (West Islip, N.Y.) and sophomore
Logan Reese (West Islip, N.Y.). Junior goalkeeper
Connor Dobson (Islip, N.Y.) moved to 2-0 on the season in the Rams' cage, as he registered eight saves on the day.
Farmingdale State rounds out its season-opening three-game homestand next Wednesday (February 25), when it plays host to SUNY New Paltz at 4 p.m.
