NEWARK, NJ—Six different players scored one goal each for Monmouth and the visiting Hawks left Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium with a 6-3 men's lacrosse victory over NJIT Tuesday night.
With the win, Monmouth, in its second season of varsity play, evened its season record to 3-3, while NJIT, in its first season at the varsity level, falls to 0-5.
Joe Lomeli gave NJIT its first-ever lead when he scored an unassisted goal that put the Highlanders up 1-0 with 8:21 remaining in the first quarter.
Monmouth got the goal back on an unassisted tally by senior John Castellano with 1:49 left in the opening period.
The score stayed at 1-1 until a flurry of four goals, three by Monmouth, in the closing 3:07 of the second quarter. Three of the goals came in a 59-second span, with two Hawk scores sandwiched around one by the Highlanders.
Monmouth extended its lead with a pair of late third-quarter goals and NJIIT produced the only score of the fourth quarter to reach the 6-3 final.
Lomeli finished with two goals and
Liam Derkasch found the back of the net with 5:37 remaining in the game. All three Highlander goals were unassisted.
The six goal scorers for the victorious visitors were: Castellano, Eric Berger, Ryan Schwartz, Bryce Wasserman, Zack Schlkeicher, and Zach Johannes. Reed Zak assisted Schwartz on the tie-breaking goal with 2:08 left in the first half and Schleicher picked up his third assist on Monmouth's last goal of the night, up a man with 2:44 left in the third quarter.
Nick Marzullo went the distance in goal for NJIT, making 16 saves while facing 47 Hawk shots.
Monmouth used two goalkeepers, with starter Garrett Conaway departing for 6:30 and then returning to finish the win and logging a total of 53:30 in goal. Conaway allowed two goals and saved three shots. Nick Hreshko subbed for Conaway and logged a save and a goal allowed before handing the goalkeeping back over to Conaway.
As mentioned, Lomeli's first goal gave NJIT its first lead in five games and the 1-0 advantage held for 6:22, until Castellano's goal for MU.
Berger's unassisted goal made it 2-1 for the Hawks with 3:07 left in the half, but Lomeli struck just 11 seconds later for his NJIT-leading eighth goal of the season and a 2-2 tie.
Monmouth reclaimed the lead just 48 seconds later on the Schwartz score and then the Hawks delivered a backbreaker to the Highlanders, scoring with just two ticks on the first-half clock.
Up 4-2 at the break, Monmouth enjoyed a 17-2 advantage in third-quarter shots, but it wasn't until 11:37 had passed before the Hawks added to their lead.
Nearly 10 minutes passed in the final quarter before Derkasch scored to bring NJIT back within three goals, but Monmouth was able to kill off the last 5:37 without being seriously threatened.
NJIT which opened on the road, but then played four straight at home, will go back out this weekend, visiting Rutgers on Friday at 6 pm and then heading to Richmond, VA, for a game on Monday at 4 pm.
