After snapping its 26 game losing streak with a win over Presbyterian Monday, the University of Hartford men's lacrosse team extended its win streak to two by shocking No. 6 UMBC, 10-8, to snap the Retrievers' six-game win streak.
The Hartford (2-10 overall, 1-3 America East) keeps UMBC (9-3, 3-1) from clinching the No. 1 seed for the America East Championship, which it can still obtain with a win at University of Vermont (4-9, 1-3) next Saturday. Hartford is still alive for its first tournament berth since 2006.
Stony Brook University (7-4, 3-1) won its third straight and clinched a tournament bid with a 14-9 win over Binghamton University (2-11, 1-3) at La Valle Stadium Saturday night. Albany (7-5, 3-1), which nearly upset No. 4 Syracuse before falling 15-13 Friday, joidne the Retrievers and Seawolves in the field with a 9-6 victory at Vermont Sunday.
Freshman Scott Bement set the tone in the cage for Hartford with a career-high 19 saves to hold the nation's fifth best offense to four goals under their average. The Hawks jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage on scores by Ryan Compitello and Michael Cudmore. UMBC scored the next three, with a pair coming from Matt Latham.
But the Hawks tallied six of the next seven scores to open an 8-4 lead midway through the third quarter. Bement made 11 of his 19 stops in the second half, including five in the decisive final frame.
Kevin Crowley paced the Seawolves with three goals and two assists, while Jordan McBride and Kyle Belton also added three scores apiece.
Corey Small scored three times for No. 20 Albany and freshman goaltender John Carroll came off the bench at the start of the second quarter and allowed just two goals while making 14 saves in 45 minutes of action.
Binghamton can earn the final tournament berth with a win against Hartford at Bearcats Sports Complex Saturday. Hartford can wrap up a bid with a win over the Bearcats and a Vermont loss at UMBC. Conversley, the Catamounts can get in with a win over UMBC and a Hartford loss to Binghamton.
The America East Championship will get started on Wednesday, April 29 with night semifinal action at the top two seeds. The winners will meet for the league title and subsequent trip to the NCAA Championship, at the higher remaining seed Saturday, May 2.