Jaspers Keep Playoff Hopes Alive With 5-4 Win Over Providence

Box Score 

RIVERDALE, N.Y. ? For the second straight game, the Manhattan College men's lacrosse team faced a virtual must-win.  For the second straight game, the contest went down to the wire.  This time, however, the Jaspers (8-7, 4-3 MAAC) earned the needed victory, as Joe Variano's (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) goal with 51 seconds remaining proved to be the difference in a 5-4 triumph over Providence (6-8, 5-2 MAAC) at Gaelic Park on Wednesday.  With the win, the Jaspers kept alive their hopes of qualifying for the four-team Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament.

Manhattan scored the first goal of the game when Brett Miranda (Ossining, N.Y.) connected with Mike Llewellyn (Brookhaven, N.Y.) at the 11:09 mark of the first quarter.  Providence tied the game on an unassisted tally by Evan Helda less than a minute later.  A tight, defensive battle broke out from there, as both teams went scoreless for nearly 20 minutes.  James Synowiez (Owego, N.Y.) broke the deadlock with a goal at the 5:46 mark of the second quarter.  Synowiez made it 3-1 when he found himself in the right place at the right time, corralling the ground ball after a Providence turnover and scoring into a wide open net.  The Jaspers outshot the Friars 11-2 in the second quarter and took the 3-1 lead into the halftime break.

Providence held the Jaspers scoreless for the next 24:25 of action, allowing the Friars to take a 4-3 lead.  Colin Tigh broke Providence's scoring drought with a man-up tally at the 7:22 mark of the third quarter, then Bobby Labadini tied the game when he connected off a feed from Tigh with 2:17 remaining in the quarter.  The Friars took their first lead of the game when Danny Ryan notched an unassisted goal 3:25 into the fourth quarter.

The top defensive team in the MAAC, Providence tried to slow the game down even more and nurse its one-goal advantage.  However, the Jaspers tied the contest on a goal by Sal Perrotto (Garnerville, N.Y.) 2:15 later.  Both teams entered a defensive mode from there, and it looked like Manhattan might be headed to overtime for the second straight game until Variano scored the go-ahead tally on a beautiful wrap-around with 51 seconds left.

Providence won the faceoff after Variano's goal and took timeout with 41 seconds remaining.  Jake Nolan then fired a shot wide, and Manhattan gained possession when the ball went out-of-bounds.  Manhattan cleared, then took timeout with 15 seconds remaining.  With possession in their offensive end, the Jaspers just held it until the final whistle and secured the 5-4 victory. 

The win snapped Manhattan's nine-game losing streak against Providence, and it came in the final meeting between the teams before the Friars leave the MAAC for the newly-formed Big East next season.

Synowiez had two goals to increase his MAAC-leading total to 37 on the season.  Synowiez also collected a game-high six ground balls.  Playing in his final game at Gaelic Park, Angelo Marrano (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) added four ground balls.  Despite shots being an even 26-26, the Jaspers held a 16-9 advantage in shots on goal.  John Geagan (Seaford, N.Y.) (6-7) made five saves in his final home game as a Jasper.

Tigh led the Providence offense with a goal and an assist.  John Tunney collected a team-high four ground balls, as the Friars held a 33-30 advantage on the ground.  Tunney also caused three Manhattan turnovers.  Providence won 10 of the 13 faceoffs in the game, with Mike Bowler going 9-2 in the faceoff circle.  Robert Bryan (5-8), the MAAC leader in goals against average and save percentage, stopped 11 Manhattan shots.