Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
Easton, PA - Manhattan scored three unanswered goals in breaking a fourth-quarter stalemate en route to registering a 12-9 win over Lafayette in non-conference action at Fisher Stadium.
The Jasper defense was outstanding in decisive stanza in forcing eight turnovers while holding firm on a key one-minute penalty when the score was tied at 9-9, before answering with three-straight scores.
Manhattan improves to 2-2 while the Leopards drop to 2-2.
Fueled by a five-goal first period, the Jaspers led 7-4 and appeared poised for an easy win. However, Lafayette had other ideas and ripped off five-goals in the third period to tie it up at 9-9.
The Leopards then won the opening face-off to start the fourth and promptly fired seven-straight shots, including three with a man up, before sophomore
Rob Johnson (Bayport, NY / Mount St. Mary's) knocked it away and gave the Manhattan its first offensive possession of the stanza. Just over a minute later, sophomore
Trevor Pelletier (Miami, FL / Gulliver Prep) unleashed a rocket off a
Parker Giarratana (Jr., Delray, FL / Boca Raton Community) feed to give the visitors what would prove to be an insurmountable 10-9 lead with 11:17 to play.
Lafayette would have two chances to tie it up before Giarratana found sophomore
Brandon Grinnell (Wakefield, MA / Wakefield Memorial) for an insurance goal with just over five minutes to play. Over the following four-plus minutes Lafayette would be denied by a tenacious defense that forced five miscues. Grinnell then put the finishing touches on an impressive road victory with his second-straight score at the 59-second mark.
Senior
Michael Zingaro (Cortlandt Manor, NY / Walter Panas) made 12 saves while yielding just nine goals with five ground balls in registering another solid performance between the pipes.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- Manhattan has now won back-to-back matches for the first time since defeating Lafayette and Monmouth in April of 2014.
- The Jaspers are 4-0, all-time, against Lafayette and 3-0 when playing in Easton.
- After Lafayette opened up a 2-0 lead early in the first quarter, Manhattan answered with five-straight goals over the final 8:56 of the stanza as Giarratana and freshman
Sean MacKinney (Martinsville, NJ / Bridgewater-Raritan) each scored twice with classmate
Justin Malpica (Glen Head, NY / Long Island Lutheran) adding one goal.
- Giarratana matched his career-high of three assists set twice during his freshman season while adding two goals.
- Freshmen MacKinney and Malpica each scored a career-high three goals to pace Manhattan while sophomores Pelletier and Grinnell each added two goals as 10 of the Jaspers' goals were scored by underclassmen.
- Zingaro has now yielded less than 10 goals in four of his last five starts and 10 times in his career.
- It also marked the 30th time in Zingaro's career that he has registered double-figures in saves.
- Johnson had four ground balls and two huge forced turnovers.
- Junior
William Ratchford (Mountain Lakes, NJ / Mountain Lakes) led all players with three caused turnovers.
- Lafayette was paced by Conor Walters, who scored a match-high four goals, while Jonathan Anastos made 10 saves in defeat.
UP NEXT
- Manhattan will square off with Bellarmine on Saturday, February 24 at 5:00 pm on the campus of Widener University in Chester, PA.
