Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Freshman Berube makes 14 saves, Warriors' man-down stymies Amherst
MANSFIELD, Conn. - Freshman goalie Donald Berube (Tewksbury, MA) recorded double- digit saves for the first time in four collegiate appearances and the Eastern Connecticut State University man-down unit killed eight of nine opposing extra-man opportunities as the Warriors downed Amherst College, 14-12, Tuesday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
At right: Salieu Bolivar
The win is the first for Eastern (3-1) in three tries against Amherst (0-2) and gives Eastern three straight victories at home in seven days by a total of four goals. The triumph follows one-goal wins over Babson College, 12-11, in its home-opener and an 11-10 overtime verdict over Montclair State University Friday night.
Although the final margin was only two goals, Eastern trailed only twice by one goal each time in the first quarter and was never behind throughout the final three periods. Sophomore midfielder Salieu Bolivar (Norwalk) and senior midfielder Maxim Fantl (West Hartford) connected on the team's third and fourth shots of the game to provide the hosts with an early 2-0 lead and after senior attack Matt Kellman gave Amherst its second and final lead of the game late in the first period, Eastern took the lead for good. The Warriors tied the game with 57 seconds left in the first quarter on a goal by senior midfielder Zach Malouf (Norwich), and freshman attack Matthew Janssen (Hillsborough, NJ) and Albertson beat Amherst freshman goalie Steve Levy 13 seconds apart to make it 6-4. Janssen's goal came in a man-down situation after the Warriors were whistled for a slash with 19.8 seconds left in the first period.
The Warriors carried a three-goal lead into the fourth period and fattened that lead to five, 14-9, with nine minutes left when 6-foot-7 inch first-year junior transfer Grant Albertston (New Canaan) stuck in a man-down goal - his fifth of the game.
Eastern successfully killed the next seven minutes before Amherst (0-2) answered with three goals in 57 seconds to knock the lead down to the final two-goal margin. The Warriors turned the ball over with time running out but Berube made his 14th and final save in the final seconds to keep Amherst from making it a one-goal agme.
Bolivar followed Albertson with three goals, with six additonal players adding a goal each. Junior attack Brendan Hoppey (Shoreham, NY) handed out two assists.
Eastern's opponents had converted nine of 20 extra-man tries heading into the game but the Warriors successfully killed off eight of Amherst's nine power-play situations. Amherst was 0-for-4 in the first half and couldn't capitalize on two man-up advantages when it tried to rally in the fourth period
Amherst sophomore midfielder Alex Fox contributed to ten of Amherst's 12 goals by scoring seven and assisting on three. Fox took one third of his team's shots..
Eastern junior midfielder Eric Vasil (Southington) won 20 of 28 faceoffs and collected 15 of the team's 33 ground balls. In four games, Vasil has won 88 of 108 faceoffs (81.5) and picked up 68 ground balls. Albertson tops Eastern this year wtih 13 goals and 18 points and Janssen has scored eight goals and added five helpers. Berbue is 2-0 with a 9.87 goals-against average and .538 save percentage.
Eastern plays the first of six consecutive road games Sunday at No. 3 nationally-ranked Salisbry University at 1 p.m.
