April 14, 2001

AMHERST, Mass. - Wesleyan University senior John Landay (Baltimore, MD) scored three of his game-high four goals as part of a game-ending 5-0 run for the Cardinals, who rallied from a 6-4 deficit to knock off host Amherst College, 9-6, in Little III and NESCAC men's lacrosse action in Amherst on Saturday. Landay, who finished with four goals and two assists, combined with Cardinal junior Mark Ungar (Setauket, NY) to account for seven of Wesleyan's eight goals, as the Cardinals remained unbeaten in conference play, improving to 4-0 in the league, 10-1 overall. The Jeffs, who opened the year 4-0, fall to 5-3 with their second consecutive loss, 2-3 in the NESCAC. 

For the first 37 minutes of Saturday's Little III opener, it looked like the Jeffs were primed for an upset, after the hosts jumped out to a 3-0 first-quarter lead on a pair of goals from senior Rob Gibson (South Salem, NY) and an unassisted tally from first-year Mike Allison (West Nyack, NY). The Cardinals rallied, however, closing to within one on goals from Ungar and Landay, and the Jeffs took a 3-2 lead to the second quarter. 

In the second, the Jeffs controlled possession for most of the early-going, extending the lead back to two on an extra-man goal from sophomore Matt Margolis (Short Hills, NJ) midway through the period. Wesleyan rallied again, however, knotting the game at four on goals from Ungar and junior Andrew Rotando (Boston, MA). The score stayed that way until early in the third quarter, when another Amherst surge, with two goals in just over one minute from Allison and junior Gene Nogi (Clark's Summit, PA) put the Jeffs up 6-4. 

The lead would be short-lived. 20 seconds after Nogi's goal, Landay scored to close the Cardinals to within one, before Ungar tied the game just 19 seconds after that. Landay added his third goal of the game at the 5:40-mark of the third to give the lead back to Wesleyan, and the Cardinals would never relinquish it, adding two goals in the fourth quarter-from Landay and sophomore Ben Vaughn (Bethesda, MD) to seal the win. 

Senior Wesleyan goalie Lukas Cash (North Attleboro, MA) posted 14 saves, eight in the second half, in the win for Wesleyan, while his counterpart, Amherst co-captain Corey Simonson (Brookline, MA) picked up 16 stops in the defeat. 

With the loss, Amherst falls to 5-3, 2-3 in NESCAC play, heading into Wednesday afternoon's home date against the Tufts University Jumbos. Wesleyan (10-1, 4-0) is also next in action on Wednesday, when they host league-foe Trinity College.

SCORING: 
AC - Gibson 2, Allison 2, Margolis, Nogi;
WU - Landay 4, Ungar 3, DelRosso, Rotando; 

ASSISTS: 
AC - Gibson 2, Edelson, Sowers;
WU - Landay 2, Wilcox 2, Reid; 

GOALKEEPING: 
AC - Corey Simonson, 16 saves (9 ga, 60:00) 
WU - Lukas Cash, 14 saves (6 ga, 60:00); 


Shots: AC 30, WU 32; 
Ground Balls: AC 27, WU 30;
Face-Offs: AC 8, WU 8; 
EMO: AC 1 for 8, WU 0 for 7
Penalties: AC 9 for 7:30, WU 10 for 9:00;