No. 9 UMass Cleans Up No. 17 Brown, 12-5
No. 9 UMass Cleans Up No. 17 Brown, 12-5
Game brief
(Amherst, MA) No. 9 UMass ended a slow and scrappy start for both teams with a second and third quarter shooting spree racking up nine unanswered goals. The local defensive effort was perhaps inspired by the on-hand celebrity expertise of the NE Patriots Super Bowl Champion Coach Bill Belichick. While the Minuteman defense was effective, the Brown Bears were simply an invisible offensive presence. UMass Junior defender Jack Reid didn’t make an already frustrated preseason All-American Chazz Woodson any less frustrated. Woodson failed to score and coughed up five turnovers. UMass Senior Jeff Zywicki (Napean, Ontario) led the assault with three goals and an assist.
The match-up between No. 9 (4-1) and No. 17 (2-1) failed to live up to the pre-game hype as 'the' New England rivalry. Prior to today’s match-up, Brown led the series 23-19-1. Last year, the Bears defeated UMass 10-5. The Minutemen were looking to rebound from an upset to Albany this past Tuesday. On a more meaningful note, the game today was dedicated to the older brother of Brown sophomore Denis Whelan (Merion Station, PA), Ricky Whelan, who passed away in January.
Starting line-ups
UMass: Attack - Senior Jeff Zywicki (Sir Robert Borden, Ontario), Senior Gene Tundo (Orchard Park, NY), Senior Sean Morris (Marshfield, MA [Rutgers]); Midfield - Senior Chris Doyle (Mahopac, NY), Junior Jamie Yaman (Cortland, NY), Sophomore Andrew Recchione (Mahwah, NJ); Defense - Junior Jack Reid (Glastonbury, CT), Senior Matt Garcia (Lakeland, NY), Senior Aaron Paskalis (Gloucester, MA [Army]); Goal – Senior Bill Schell (Mahopac, NY).
Brown: Attack – Sophomore Alex Buckley (Ridgewood, NJ), Senior Chazz Woodson (Virginia Beach, VA), Sophomore David Madeira (Norwich, VT); Midfield – Senior Britton Derkac (Virginia Beach, VA), Senior Kirk Teatom (Massapequa, NY), Senior Dan Spinosa (Massapequa, NY); Defense – Freshman Reese Pacheco (East Falmouth, MA), Junior Robert Cotter (New Canaan, CT), Sophomore Bobby Shields (Hampstead, NH); Goal – Junior Nicholas Gentilesco (Setauket, NY)
Game detail
Game perfect conditions and intense pre-game warm-ups didn’t entirely translate into smooth pass and play lacrosse at the first whistle. UMass got 11 SOGs to Brown’s 6 in the first quarter converting on two goals while Brown scored only once. The Minutemen edged out the Bears on possession from grounders 29-23 while Brown controlled 11 of the 20 faceoffs.
While both teams committed 10 TOs each in the first half (and Brown 9TO to UMass’ 8TO in the second half), the critical difference was execution off of offensive possession. UMass out shot brown 33-27. You could feel Brown’s top gun Chazz Woodson’s frustration. Time and time again whether from an invert or X, he would get tripped up on the first two beats of his stutter step or slide on the roll. The defensive attention and occasional facial tested his composure. You could see it in his body language and his silent pleas to the refs for some whistle action, if not a flag. Meanwhile, the hometown crew was able to capitalize on outside shots and slow slides on the crease.
Brown’s Kirk Teatom faced-off against UMass’ Dane Collins. UMass won possession. UMass’ leading scorer Sean Morris pulled off a shot that hit post. Brown was unable to hold on to the ball while UMass gave their frontline of Jacovina, Garber, and Tundo several SOGs. Brown gained possession of a caused turnover from Bear Dan Spinosa.
It wasn’t until 3:19 in the first when Brian Jacovina got the Minutemen on the board with a diving off-pace low shot (1-0). Teammate Andrew Recchione followed with another unassisted goal (from around the same area as Jacovina) less than one minute later with a shot from the right side at 2:32 (2-0). Brown responded 10 seconds later straight off the faceoff. Britton Derkac came up with the grounder and passed to unmarked David Madeira who was right in front of the cage for a low bouncer (1-2) at 2:22.
UMass picked up the tempo in the second quarter getting eight SOGs to Brown’s four. UMass outscored the Bears 3-0 in the quarter. UMass won the faceoff at the top of the second. Both teams traded possession until UMass’ Aaron Paskalis was called for slashing at 11:33. Brown got two SOGs and was unable to convert. While EMO was hardly the deal breaker in this game, UMass cashed in 3-3 while Brown was 2-6 on EMO.
Brown Bear George Bassett was called for one minute on an illegal body check at 8:15. UMass’ Sean Morris found team mate Jeff Zywicki in front of the goal for a lower right EMO goal at 7:50 (3-1).
UMass won the faceoff turned over the ball and committed a one-minute penalty. Brown’s Kyle Wailes’ shot was blocked. Minuteman Sean Morris came up with grounder and he and Jacovina got off two shots. Fellow Minuteman Jamie Yaman finally found the back of the net on a lefty shot from top right and hit the lower left corner at 4:21 (4-1). Brown Goalie Nichola Gentilesco got taken several times from the top right spot and failed to make the adjustments.
Brown controlled the faceoff and both teams traded turnovers until Brown’s Kyle Wailes was called for a 30sec illegal procedure. The Minutemen didn’t waste any time with Bret Caretsky finding Chris Doyle (top right) open for a lower left shot at 1:51 (5-1). With the score so tight in the first quarter you had a feeling that one team could easily roll with it and UMass didn’t look like they were letting up.
UMass continued on pace outshooting their guests 11-4 and converting for six goals in the third quarter. Brown won the faceoff and Brown’s Chazz Woodson tried to get a shot on goal shooting wide. Minuteman Jeff Zywicki scored his second goal of the game at 11:54. Recchione dished off to Zywicki who cut along the crease for a left side upper 90 shot (6-1).
Brown won the faceoff and managed to hit the post off a shot from Will Davis. Bear Chazz Woodson turned over the ball (caused by Jack Reid) at 8:59, which set off fast break series ending with a goal from Gene Tundo off an assist from Jack Reid at 8:52 (7-1).
Again, Brown won the faceoff and turned over the ball. Bear Pat Ryan was called for a 30 second penalty (illegal procedure). UMass show several times before converting on Sean Morris’ EMO goal at 7:37. Morris’ lower lefty shot was assisted by Brett Garber at top (8-1). UMass rounded out the scoring for the quarter. Jamie Yaman scored unassited at 6:24 with a lower right bouncer (9-1). Brett Garber followed up with a goal that looked like it surprised the goalie as Garber tripped over a player and managed to deliver a diving bouncer off an assist from Jeff Zywicki at 4:39 (10-1). Jeff Zywicki notched a hat trick with the last goal of the quarter as he rolled the left side of the crease for a top right back hander at 4:25 (11-1). At this point, you could only hope for an inspired final quarter from the Bears.
You have to credit the Bears for putting more gas into their fourth quarter performance although it was a little a little too late. The Bears outshot their hosts 13-3 and scored 4-1 in the fourth. Brown won the faceoff the quickly converted for a goal at 14:28. Kyle Wailes dished off to Britton Derkac who shot from the left side and hit top right at 14:27 (2-11). UMass scored their only goal of the quarter. Brian Jacovina fed Brett Garber up top. Garber worked the screens in front for his goal at 11:43 (12-2).
Brown won the faceoff and after nearly four minutes of traded possession converted on a goal from Britton Derkac assisted by Christopher Mucciolo who fed Derkac in top right slot for a lower lefty goal – around the very same area UMass took Gentilesco several times at 7:32 (3-12). Brown’s final two goals resulted from EMOs and came from David Madeira. Wailes found an open Madeira in front of the cage at 6:46 for a top right shelf shot (4-12). Madeira scored again hitting top left corner in a last ditch effort with 14 seconds on the clock off an assist from Will Davis (12-5).
UMass improves to 4-1 while Brown drops to 2-1. UMass will travel to Sacred Heart on March 22nd at 15:00 while Brown hosts Ohio State on March 26th at 13:00. Final score UMass 12 Brown 5.
Massachusetts vs. Brown
| Scoring | |
|---|
| Jeff Zywicki | (3, 1) |
|
| Brett Garber | (2, 1) |
|
| Jamie Yaman | (2, 0) |
|
| Andrew Recchione | (1, 1) |
|
| Sean Morris | (1, 1) |
|
| Brian Jacovina | (1, 1) |
|
| Gene Tundo | (1, 0) |
|
| Christopher Doyle | (1, 0) |
|
| Bret Caretsky | (0, 1) |
|
| Jack Reid | (0, 1) |
|
| Current Record | |
|---|
| Massachusetts | 4-1 |
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