#9 Merrimack Takes Down Franklin Pierce, 14-5
Balbuena registers a game-high five points to lead the Warriors

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (April 15, 2008) – Merrimack College, tied for ninth in this week’s United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Div. II poll, scored the first 10 goals of the game in taking a 14-5 win over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference men’s lacrosse action on Tuesday night at Warrior Field.

Freshman Michael Balbuena (Falmouth, Mass./Falmouth) led all scorers with three goals and two assists for five points, while teammates Greg Rogowski (Cohoes, N.Y./Christian Brothers) and Dennis Rugg (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield) each had three goals for the Warriors.

Seven different Raven players recorded one point on the evening, as five players found the back of the net and two recorded an assist.

Rogowski scored the game’s first two goals in the opening 3:51 to give Merrimack an early lead. Balbuena and Rugg each scored three times during the team’s opening 10-goal flurry, with Rugg netting the last tally before junior Ryan Boller (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) finally ended the streak with 7:26 remaining in the first half.

After Rogowski scored his third of the game 17 seconds into the third quarter, Franklin Pierce scored four goals to Merrimack’s two the rest of the way but could not get closer than nine goals. Sophomore Lucas Hamory (Canton, Mass./Canton) and junior Jon Priest (Burlington, Mass./Landmark School) scored 14 seconds apart midway through the third quarter to lower the lead to 12-3, while sophomore Kurt Vaughan (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y./Croton-Harmon) ended the scoring with his first of the year with only two seconds left in the game.

Merrimack sophomore Cory Spinale (Wakefield, Mass./Governor Dummer Academy) made eight saves on nine shots in the first 30 minutes of play to earn the win. Freshman goaltender Shea Campbell (Centerport, N.Y./Harborfields) stopped 14 of 28 shots for Franklin Pierce.

Franklin Pierce (2-8, 1-5 NE-10) returns home on Friday night, when the Ravens host Pace University in a conference matchup at 6 p.m. Merrimack (8-2, 5-2 NE-10) will also take on Pace on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m.

 

Merrimack 14, Franklin Pierce 5

                                                                    1      2      3      4              F

Franklin Pierce (2-8, 1-5 NE-10)           0      1      2      2      -       5

Merrimack (8-2, 5-2 NE-10)                   6      5      2      1      -       14

 

Franklin Pierce Scoring:

Goals: Ryan Boller 1, Luke Ferreira 1, Lucas Hamory 1, Jon Priest 1, Kurt Vaughan 1.

Assists: Jason Flanigan 1, Jack Scanlan 1.

 

Merrimack Scoring:

Goals: Michael Balbuena 3, Greg Rogowski 3, Dennis Rugg 3, Kyle Baker 1, Kyle Beaudoin 1, Sean Foley 1, Greg Harrington 1, David Robinson 1.

Assists: Bryan MacPhie 3, Michael Balbuena 2, Kyle Baker 1, Greg Harrington 1, Jo Pisano 1, Greg Rogowski 1, Mark Webber 1.

 

Goaltending:

Franklin Pierce: Shea Campbell (60:00), 14 saves.

Merrimack: Cory Spinale (30:00), 8 saves; Eric Tompkins (30:00), 12 saves.

 GAME STATISTICS AND BOX SCORE