HAMILTON, N.Y. (4/28/2006)—Fourth-seeded and 17th-ranked Army scored five unanswered goals in a span of five minutes in the fourth quarter to upend top-seeded Colgate, 10-8, in the first semifinal of the Patriot League men’s lacrosse tournament at Tyler’s Field. Senior John Walker led all scored with three goals and two assists. Junior Brendan Hurley (West Islip, N.Y.) led all Colgate scorers with three goals and two assists.

 

Army advances to the Patriot League Championship and will play second-seeded and eighth-ranked Navy on April 30 at 12 p.m., on Tyler’s Field.

 

Eighteenth-ranked Colgate broke open a 3-3 game with a 5-2 run to take an 8-5 lead at the 10:49 mark of the fourth quarter. Sophomore Matt Lalli (Princeton Junction, N.J.) broke the 3-3 draw with an unassisted score at the 11:49 mark of the second quarter. The Raiders added a pair of man-up scores from Nick Monastero (Bohemia, N.Y.) and Hurley in just 32 seconds to go ahead 6-3 with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter.

 

Lalli broke his scoreless streak against the Black Knights with two goals and an assist.

 

Walker closed out the second quarter with his second score of the game to send the Black Knights into halftime trailing 5-3. The Army preseason All-American picked up right where he left off just 1:19 into the third frame firing home a Mike Obringer pass to make it a 5-4 game.

 

Raider senior Robert Trasolini (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) rounded out the third quarter scoring with an unassisted goal at the 5:09 mark. The senior co-captain added his second goal of the game less than five minutes into the fourth quarter to put the Raiders up 8-5.

 

Colgate kept that three-goal advantage until the 8:34 mark when the Raiders were whistled for a substitution violation giving the Black Knights the ball. Army took over at midfield and made it a two goal game with a score from Matt Scheel. Walker assisted on the tally.

 

Tony Vozzolo won the ensuing faceoff for the Black Knights and found Obringer for a score 32 seconds later to make it a one-goal game at 8-7. Army needed just 41 more seconds to tie the game when Jon Burton found the back of the net with another unassisted score.

 

Obringer finished with one goal and two assists, while Burton contributed a goal and a helper.

 

Colgate got off a couple shots in its next possession, but Army goalie Adam Fullerton was up to the task, making two crucial stops.

 

The Black Knights got the ball back on a Fullerton stop and successfully cleared to the box before calling a timeout with 3:27 on the clock. Army came out of the break and needed just 13 seconds to take the lead 9-8, when Kevin LoRusso finished a Walker feed.

 

Army added a security goal from Scheel just over a minute later to win the contest 10-8 and advance to the championship game.

 

Vozzolo dominated at the faceoff circle winning 13-of-22, including 6-of-7 in the crucial fourth quarter.

 

The two teams tied in shots with 31 apiece, while Colgate won the groundball battle 26-21. The Raiders were 3-of-6 on man-up opportunities and Army went 2-for-4.

 

Senior goaltender Andrew Jarolimek (Silverthorne, Colo.) made eight stops, while Fullerton had 12 for the Black Knights, including five in the fourth quarter.

 

Army will try to win its first Patriot League Tournament championship, when the Black Knights face No. 8 Navy on April 30 at 12 p.m.