Division III Men :      April 14, 2001 [ The Game Story]
Gettysburg 7 Washington College 5 Scoring: Scoring: Pete Milliman Charlie Hanchett Chris Baran Matt Twombly Mike Bevilacqua Tommy Pearce Ric Bremer (4, 1) (0, 2) (1, 0) (0, 1) (0, 1) (1, 0) (1, 0) Craig Rentch Steve Berger Nick Nylund Eric Kuehn Dan Meehan (3, 0) (0, 2) (1, 0) (1, 0) (0, 1) Saves: Saves: Tim Mcginnis 12  (0.706) John Chrismer 10  (0.588) Current Record :     (10-1) Current Record :     (6-6) Team Page For 2001 Team Page For 2001       The Game Story:

It wasn't a clinic for textbook lacrosse, but it was a fiercely played game providing much excitement. The defense for both squads were very alert today sliding early and hard. The Bullets were coming with a second man from the crease all day very effectively. Washington College was so tight at the outset that they were either throwing bad passes or missing easy catches. The Bullets looked a little smoother on offense, but the Shoremen's defense did a good job of not allowing anything inside. The result were some unwise outside shots that keeper John Chrismer was able to stop. Perhaps the Bullets thought that Chrismer had a weakness for outside shots, and it proved true in the third quarter with a couple of soft goals that turned out to be the difference. It's not to say Chrismer played poorly or that the game was his fault, it's just that his counterpart, Tim McGinnis made all the saves he should've and a couple more.

The first quarter featured a tense atmosphere that would persidt for the entire game. The ball spent a great deal of time on the ground and going out of bounds. Gettysburg actually had a few solid opportunities, but failed to convert. First, middie Wes Cadman dinged one off the left pipe after spilt dodging his man from up top. Then in a failed clearing attempt attackman Pete Milliman missed a partially empty net from about twenty yards away. The Bullets then went man-up after a too many men on the field flag against the Shoremen. They worked the ball to Tommy Pearce who took an overhand shot that stayed high from a long distance making it an easy one for Chrismer who cleared and killed the penalty. Later, Washington college would get their chance when in transition they worked the ball to Steve Berger who was all alone with keeper McGinnis. The three fakes thrown by the left hander were not bought and McGinnis stuffed him. The Bullet's Pearce took his man up to the midfield line and just simply out-ran his man to the goal getting off a great on-the-run shot that beat Chrismer, but rang off the post. The Bullets were on the extra man at the 6:30 mark for another bench penalty for an illegal substitution. This time they were able to convert, but the shooter stepped into the crease before scoring nullifying the tally. Washington college seemed to be handling the ball a little better for a while, but with under a minute to go in the quarter they threw the ball away again. Coach Hank Janczyk called a timeout with 16.6 seconds to go for the Bullets. Milliman started play and worked his defenseman at the top of the box to Chrismer's right. He rolled a couple of times before catching the other high middie cheating over. He dished laterally to Pearce who stepped in for a thirteen yard bounce shot to score the first goal of the game, 1-0.

Washington continued to play well defensively, but still had trouble handling the ball in the second quarter. However, it was a mis-handling of the ball by Gettysburg's defense that got WAC into the game. Defenseman Adam Santry threw a crosse-field pass from deep in his own end, but didn't get it high enough as Nick Nylund snagged it. He face-dodged the keeper(McGinnis) and scored the empty netter, 1-1. Gettysburg went man-up for the third time when John Timken was called for a slash. Again they took an outside shot that started high and stayed high for an easy Chrismer save. JB Clarke called timeout for his Shoremen the next time they had the ball on offense to set something up. It resulted in a goal at the 7:27 mark. About ten yards outside of the restraining box he had two middies stacked in front of a third middie who had the ball. The whistle blew and everyone broke so that the ball was quickly moved to Steve Berger for a possible mismatch. Berger sprinted to his right towards the goal and hit the backside attackman in Craig Rentch who came out to the goalies right. Rentch stepped toward the middle of the field and wrapped one around McGinnis, 2-1. The Bullets answered at 4:49 when Milliman cut off the crease towards the restraining line and caught a feed from Charlie Hantchett. Milliman turned and shot high for a 2-2 tie. Milliman got the next one as well to put the Bullets up 3-2. Tommy Pearce drove from the top and ripped a shot that was blocked. The fight for the ball was on and somehow it squibbed to Milliman standing alone at the post to Chrismer's right. He leaned forward and hit the far right corner high. Washington college finished the last minute and a half strong feeding the crease where the slides were coming from, but they were just missing. To end the half WAC took yet another penalty for unnecessary roughness.

The Bullets worked for their shot and again Chrismer gobbled it up to kill the penalty. At 11:17 Matt Twombly took the first Gettysburg penalty for pushing. The Shoremen were unable to capitalize. There was a long stretch of up and down play with the ball spending more time on the ground than anywhere else. Finally at 5:35 Gettysburg got things going again. Twombly, working from "X", moved to his left and found Milliman standing high in the lefty crank spot. Milliman caught the ball to the outside with his right hand and stepped into a shot as his defender was not pressing him. The 17 yard shot bounced past Chrismer for the soft goal, 4-2. Shortly after, Chris Baran was working "x" for the Bullets. He came out in front to Chrismer's right but ten yards out with little angle. His defensemen let up as it appeared he was out of danger and Baran simply turned and bounced another one past Chrismer, 5-2. Gettysburg went on the extra man for a terrible call against Craig Early. A pick was set behind the goal and Early demolished it as he was staying with his defender. That should be allowed. Anyway, Gettysburg failed to convert. With 51 seconds to go in the third WAC got there second man-up play. McGinnis was instrumental in the kill making a pair of brilliant saves.

Washington College had another man-up opportunity after Matt McMillan was called for a minute. The Shoremen worked the ball well and got two shot off, but one was high and the other low and wide. Still with the extra man they inbounded from behind as Berger hit Eric Kuehn in the low lefty crank spot and uses the spot aptly. He cranked a lefty underhand shot that pegged the upper left corner. McGinnis didn't stand a chance, 5-3. WAC came back down again on the next face-off and worked it in for a one on one with McGinnis, but he turned that one away. Washington College made it a one goal game on their next extra man opportunity. The ball came from behind to Dan Meehan who quickly hit Rentch on the crease who spinned and pinned the ball in the upper right corner, 5-4. The Shoremen gained momentum as they were able to consistently penetrate on offense, but they could get anything in the net. Then at 6:13 Milliman scored again for the Bullets on a delayed penalty. The penalty occurred in Gettysburg's defensive end so they moved the ball up in an unsettled situation. The ball was moved quickly to Miliman standing about twelve yards out in the high right hand crank position, 6-4. As low scoring as the game was, a two goal lead was a lot so Gburg started to kill clock. Washington got impatient and out of position and enabled Hanchett to feed a crosse crease pass to Ric Bremer who bulled his way in from about five yards out to Chrismer's left and snuck one in, 7-4. The game wound down with a couple of chances for the Shoremen, one missed the goal the other was stopped by McGinnis. With under a minute to go the Bullets stepped the ball in the box and then stepped it out giving possession back to WAC. Rentch got his third of the day when he curled from behind to his left, but it was too late with only 32 seconds left, 7-5.