Rixey Scores Game-Winner with 2:36 to Play

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- Sophomore midfielder Tom Rixey (Virginia Beach, VA/Norfolk Academy) scored the game-winning goal to cap off a three-goal, 66-second rally as host Washington College rallied from a two-goal deficit late in the fourth quarter to post an 8-7 win over visiting Franklin & Marshall in a Centennial Conference men's lacrosse game tonight on Kibler Field at Roy Kirby, Jr. Stadium. The Shoremen improved to 4-8 overall and 2-6 in conference play with the win, while the Diplomats fell to 5-7 and 2-5.

The Shoremen got off to a quick start in the game as junior midfielder Shane Kaski (Mosley, VA/Midlothian) scored 26 seconds into the contest. Junior attackman Josh Perlow (Owings Mills, MD/Boys Latin) then scored off a feed from sophomore midfielder Dave Lundquist (West Chester, PA/Henderson) with 7:07 left in the first quarter and junior midfielder Doug Herdegen (Baltimore, MD/Archbishop Curley) netted a goal off an assist from sophomore midfielder Michael Pancottine (Bellevue, WA/Issaquah) with 4:11 on the clock to give Washington a 3-0 advantage. F&M got on the board when Sean Murphy found Kevin Kilpatrick for a goal with 3:50 to go in the first.

The Diplomats evened the score in the second quarter as Shane Brennan scored an extra-man goal off a Colin McKew assist with 12:45 to go and Tristan Miller scored off a McKew assist with 11:58 to play. The score remained deadlocked into halftime.

Herdegen scored off an assist from sophomore attackman Billy Stafford (White Hall, MD/Hereford) 48 seconds into the third quarter to give the Shoremen a 4-3 lead. Kilpatrick answered with a goal at 10:27 to pull the Diplomats even. Sophomore attackman Dominic Serio (Finksburg, MD/Mount St. Joseph) scored off a Herdegen assist at 5:11 to put Washington back in front, 5-4. Jeff Ritter scored for F&M with 4:11 to go to even the score at 5-5. Kilpatrick then put the Diplomats in front, 6-5, when he scored as time expired in the third quarter off an assist from Miller.

F&M increased its lead to 7-5 when Brennan scored with 6:33 to play in the game. Washington began its three-goal rally when Serio found sophomore midfielder Brad Ruzicka (Baltimore, MD/Dulaney) for an extra-man goal with 3:42 left. The Shoremen tied the score at 6-6 when Kaski scored off a Rixey assist with 2:53 left. Washington then won the ensuing face-off. Herdegen took a quick shot which rebounded to the far left of the goal. Rixey picked it up and raced to the crease. His first shot was stopped by F&M goalkeeper Chris Marcozzi, but the ball went back out in front of the crease. Rixey was able to tip the ball in from the ground during a scrum in front of the net and scored what would prove to be the game-winner with 2:36 on the clock.

F&M's final shot to tie the game came from Brennan with 26 seconds to go, but it went wide and was backed up by WC freshman goalkeeper Matt Miller (Baldwin, MD/Calvert Hall). The Shoremen turned the ball over with 11 seconds left, but F&M was unable to clear the ball and Washington held on for the win.

Herdegen had two goals and one assist to lead a balanced Washington offense, while Kaski had two goals of his own. Kilpatrick led F&M with three goals, while Brennan had two.

Miller made 17 saves in goal for the Shoremen and shared game-high honors in ground balls with Rixey with seven. Marcozzi made 11 saves for F&M.

The Diplomats held a 41-36 advantage in shots in the game, but Washington held a 16-9 edge in shots in the fourth quarter.

The Shoremen return to action Friday with their home finale, a 7:00 p.m. game against Cabrini.