WESLEYAN DOWNS NAZARETH, 9-6
Golden Flyers' season ends in national quarterfinals
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MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (May 16, 2007) -- Sixth-ranked Wesleyan used a stifling zone defense and a methodical offense Wednesday to grind out a 9-6 victory over fourth-ranked Nazareth in a quarterfinal round game of the NCAA Division III Tournament for men's lacrosse.

The win was a school-record 18th for the host Cardinals (18-2), who play again Sunday in the national semifinals against defending champion Cortland, a 12-10 winner over Western New England in another quarterfinal game. Nazareth's season ends at 16-3.

Wednesday's game was initially moved, due to rainy weather, to Wesleyan's Smith Field, which featured an synthetic surface. Then, after just 3:26 had elapsed in the first quarter, the game was delayed for more than an hour following a lightning strike that wiped out power in Wesleyan's nearby Freeman Athletic Center.

When action finally resumed, Wesleyan controlled the first quarter by scoring two goals and then added the first two scores in the second quarter to build a 4-0 advantage. Nazareth was able to gain more possessions in the second quarter, yet quality shots were difficult to come by through Wesleyan's perplexing defense. The Golden Flyers' only goal of the half came after Jordan Hirsch (Hendrick Hudson HS/Montrose, NY) intercepted a Wesleyan clearing pass and scored unassisted. Wesleyan's Jon Killeen countered for the Cardinals with 5:23 left in the half for a 5-1 advantage.

Nazareth started to build momentum in the third quarter as senior attackman Ryan Hotaling (pictured, Onondaga Central/Syracuse, NY) scored twice to pull the Golden Flyers to within 5-3. Hotaling's first goal came unassisted with 9:33 left. He scored again with 8:20 left off a pass from Chad Amidon (Onondaga Central/Syracuse, NY), just two seconds after a Wesleyan penalty had expired.

Wesleyan's Jason Ben-Eliyahu enabled Wesleyan to regain its three-goal lead as he scored off a pass from Adam Kirk with 3:15 left in the third.

Nazareth again controlled possession time in the fourth quarter and had an 11-4 shooting advantage, but the Golden Flyers' offensive frustrations were magnified by a leg injury to Hotaling, who sat out most of the last 15 minutes.

After Wesleyan's Jeff Strittmatter scored, Nazareth drew within 7-4 on a goal by freshman Mark DeCirce (Binghamton HS/Binghamton, NY). Ben-Eliyahu and Grayson Connors each scored for Wesleyan to seal the win before Nazareth added two goals in the closing minute -- a man-up goal by Hirsch and one by Kevin Gibbons (Bishop Brady HS/Canterbury, NH).

At the end, Nazareth had a 37-23 advantage in shots, although Wesleyan goalie Charlie Congleton countered that total by making 14 saves. Nazareth's Pat Mullin had four saves, including three in the opening quarter.

The Wesleyan win sets up a semifinal rematch with Cortland, which defeated the Cardinals, 7-6 in overtime, in 2006 on the way to winning the national title. For Nazareth, Hotaling's two goals moved him into second place on Nazareth's all-time list with 139 goals, three shy of Marty Kelly's all-time mark of 142 that has stood since 1992.