FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Monday, May 15, 2006)

WESLEYAN MEN'S LACROSSE WINS OPENING GAME IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
(Cardinals Defeat RIT in Second-Round Matchup, 11-8, Behind Glenn Adams '06 Five-Point Game)

 

         Gaining an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III tournament for the second straight season, Wesleyan men's lacrosse took to the road Saturday, May 13 for a second-round contest against the Rochester Institute of Technology, ranked fourth in the country with a 15-2 record.
          Wesleyan emerged with an 11-8 victory and a Wednesday, May 17 quarter-final meeting at Geneseo St. (13-2), ranked fifth nationally.  Wesleyan entered the tournament ranked 10th nationally.
         The Cardinals jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first period at RIT as Jordan Funt '06 and Glenn Adams '06 each scored twice while goalie Charlie Congleton '07 stopped three shots on goal.  Congleton ended the game with 14 saves while Adams added another goal along with a pair of assists, all in the fourth period, while Funt also had two assists for a four-point game.
         RIT turned the game around during the second and third periods, holding Wesleyan scoreless while rattling off six straight goals to tie the contest at 6-6 heading into the final period.  But Wesleyan regained its composure and Adams gave the Cardinals a 7-6 lead 1:37 into the fourth quarter.  Though RIT tied the game less than a minute later, Adams hit Mike Vitulano '06 in front of the RIT net with a pinpoint pass and Vitulano put Wesleyan ahead for good at the 11:14 mark.  When Jason Ben-Eliyahu '09 and Russ Follansbee '09 both tallied within the next 3:09, Wesleyan had a comfortable 10-7 edge with 8:05 to play.  RIT cut it to 10-8 before Vitulano finished off the day's scoring at 5:20 for the 11-8 final.  It was the first meeting in men's lacrosse between the two colleges.

FOLLOW-UPS:  In a quarter-final game at SUNY-Geneseo, Glenn Adams '06 erupted for 10 points with six goals and four assists to help the Cardinals pull away in the second half for a 16-10 victory.  Geneseo led 4-3 early in the third period before a four-goal Wesleyan run gave the Cardinals a 7-4 lead they never relinquished.  Moving into the semi-finals at Cortland St., Wesleyan overcame an early 2-0 deficit with three consecutive goals and held a 4-3 edge at halftime.  Mike Vitulano '06 gave Wesleyan a 5-3 lead in the third period but Cortland scored twice before the end of the frame for a 5-5 deadlock.  Mike Walsh '06 netted a man-up goal at 12:26 for a 6-5 lead before Cortland again tied the game at the 6:09 mark and the teams went into overtime.  Cortland got the game-winner just :42 into overtime to earn a trip to the National Championship game in Philadelphia May 28 where the Red Dragons ended Salisbury's 69-game win streak with a 13-12 overtime vcitory.  The semi-final appearance by men's lacrosse was the first ever by any Wesleyan team in an NCAA Division III single-elimination tournament.

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