the Informer

Two and a half seconds may not seem like a very long time. However, when the Hartford lacrosse team was nursing a one-goal lead last Saturday over the Quinnipiac Bobcats, two and a half seconds meant the game.

After taking a 10-9 lead over the Bobcats on a goal by sophomore attack Aidan Genik with 1:31 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Hawks were just barely able to hold off their opponents until the buzzer to grab their third win of the season.
A Quinnipiac shot went wide of the net and out of play with just seconds left. The Bobcats retained possession and called a timeout, knowing they had one last chance to even the score.

The play that Quinnipiac Head Coach Eric Fekete drew up worked perfectly. Quinnipiac attack Jack Oppenheimer slipped a shot past sophomore goalie Scott Bement that seemingly tied the game and forced overtime. However, it took fractions of a second too long. After a meeting by the officials, the equalizer was disallowed.

That decision, one of two fourth-quarter calls the Quinnipiac faithful took exception to, topped off a furious comeback for the Hawks.
The Hawks found themselves in a 9-5 hole after Alex Marotto scored a goal with 14:01 to play in the fourth.

The Hawks then rallied to score the final five goals of the contest to grab the win over their in-state rivals. One of those goals was in a man-down situation for the Hawks. Two came with the Hawks holding a man advantage.

The other call was an offsides call against the Bobcats. With the Hawks trailing, 9-8, Quinnipiac picked up a ground ball by midfield. However, the Quinnipiac player crossed the midfield stripe, drawing the offsides call. Quinnipiac felt the player was pushed, forcing him over the line. Such an interpretation would have negated the call.

The infraction gave the ball back to the Hawks, who were able to tie the game on the ensuing possession. Freshman Jared Franze netted the goal off a pass from senior captain Justin Bearse.

Franze had two goals on the afternoon, the other coming in the second quarter. Bearse also scored two goals to go along with his assist.
The real catalysts of the comeback though were sophomore attacks Genik and Carter Bender. Genik scored all three of his goals in the last 11:52 of the game. Two of those goals, including the game-winner, were assisted by Bender. Bender finished the game with three helpers and a goal.

The Hawks were able to win despite being outshot, 42-26. Quinnipiac took 18 shots in the third period alone. In that stanza, the Bobcats appeared to have control of the game, outscoring the Hawks, 4-1.

Bement’s stellar play in goal, with nine saves, paced the Hawks defensively. While he allowed four goals in the third quarter, he saved five other shots in the quarter, keeping the Hawks within striking distance.

The win was a reversal of fortunes for the Hawks. Hartford scored five goals in the fourth quarter. Prior to Saturday, the team had scored just nine fourth-quarter goals all season. Five of the team’s six losses have come after surrendering a lead in the fourth.
With three wins for the season (3-6), this Hawks squad matches the most wins in a season for Hartford since 2006. That season was Coach Peter Lawrence’s first season as head coach.

Quinnipiac drops to 4-3 with the loss.

The Hawks continue America East play when they head to Stony Brook Saturday night.