GARDEN CITY: No.2 Genesee Community College was unable to get by No.3 Nassau Community College in the NJCAA National Men’s Lacrosse Final Four Semifinals on Saturday afternoon, falling by a final score of 15-6 and bringing the Cougars’ season to an end.
Genesee got on the board first after Tyler Skowronski scored just over three-minutes in to give GCC a 1-0 lead. Nassau tied it three minutes later and then converted on the man-up with a goal at the 8:03 mark to take a 2-1 lead. The Lions scored two more times before the end of the opening period and led 4-1 after one.
Nassau upped its lead to 5-1 less than thirty-seconds into the second quarter and made it 6-1 at the 3:32 mark before the game was delayed nearly an hour due to weather.
After the restart, Nassau took advantage of another man-up situation and scored with eight-minutes remaining in the half to take a 7-1 lead. Genesee had a chance to cut into the deficit late in the second quarter, but could not capitalize on a three-man advantage. Nassau scored two more times before the end of the half and led 9-1 at the break.
Blake Hurt broke a nearly 27-minute scoring drought for GCC with a goal just 40-seconds into the second half to get the Cougars to within 9-2. Nassau answered quickly to make it 10-2 and then scored with a two-man advantage to increase its lead to 11-2. Hurt scored again for GCC with just over a minute left in the third and the Cougars trailed 11-3 going into the fourth quarter.
Nassau struck twice early in the fourth, including another goal with a two-man advantage, before Chris Rabung got a man-up goal for GCC to make it 14-4. Saxon Weil and Christian Reiller followed with a goal each for Genesee to get the Cougars to within 14-6, but Nassau finished the scoring with a goal at the 2:56 mark and ended GCC’s season with a nine-goal victory.
Brady Lawrence made 14 saves in net for GCC on the afternoon. Of GCC’s 27 shots, 15 were on net.
The Cougars were successful two out of eight times with the man advantage in the game and allowed five man-up goals to Nassau.
Genesee ends the season with a 15-3 overall record.
