FOURTH-QUARTER BURST LIFTS NAZARETH
Golden Flyers defeat RIT, 14-8, to advance to E8 title game
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. (April 27, 2007) -- Senior attackman Jordan Hirsch (pictured) scored three of his career-best six goals in the fourth quarter Friday to lift host Nazareth to a 14-8 men's lacrosse victory over RIT in the semifinals of the Empire 8 Conference Tournament at Golden Flyer Stadium.

Nazareth scored six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to snap an 8-8 tie heading into the final 15 minutes. The victory boosted the second-seeded and seventh-ranked Golden Flyers to a 14-2 overall record and secured a date with top-seeded Ithaca in Sunday's conference championship game at Ithaca's Upper Terrace Field at 12 noon. Ithaca defeated St. John Fisher, 10-8, in Friday's other semifinal game. Eighth-ranked RIT is 12-3 overall.

Aaron Civalier also contributed three goals for the Golden Flyers and Ryan Hotaling scored twice and added two assists.

Neither team led by more than one goal until RIT went ahead 7-5 early in the third quarter on goals by Andrew Ruocco and Scott Farress. Nazareth, however, rallied with three straight goals to regain the lead, 8-7, before RIT's Stephen Papa tied the score, 8-8, with an unassisted goal with :01 left in the third quarter.

Nazareth completely dominated the final 15 minutes, collecting 14 ground balls to RIT's nine and winning six of seven faceoffs. Kevin Kimball scored off an assist from Hirsch with 13:42 left to give the Golden Flyers the lead for good, 9-8. Hirsch scored unassisted just 26 seconds later to make it 10-8.

Freshman Mark DeCirce scored off a pass from Hotaling with 7:47 left and Hirsch scored his fifth goal 45 seconds after that with Chad Amidon assisting. Hirsch and Civalier closed out the scoring with goals in the final two minutes.

The score was 3-3 after one quarter with Amidon, Civalier and Hotaling scoring for the Golden Flyers, while Wes Adam scored twice for the Tigers and Ruocco once.

The teams continued to exchange goals in the second quarter with Hotaling and Hirsch tallying for Nazareth and Ruocco and Farress for RIT. After RIT went up 7-5 in the third quarter, Civalier scored in transition off a pass from Mark Kanellis with 7:59 left in the quarter and Hirsch tied the score with 4:44 to play off a pass from Conor O'Keefe. Hirsch also netted the go-ahead goal with 2:54 left in the quarter, before Papa's tying goal set the stage for the final 15 decisive minutes.

Nazareth had a 44-33 edge in shots and a 52-35 advantage in ground balls. Freshman defenseman Mitchel Frey collected eight ground balls and Amidon had seven while winning 17 of 21 faceoffs. Senior Pat Mullin and RIT goalie Jon Foley each had 12 saves.