Box Score

(story courtesy University of Southern Maine Sports Information)

GORHAM, Maine  --  #Dan Leyden# '09 (Northfield, Mass.) scored with 41.7 seconds remaining in regulation time to cap a four-goal rally in the final eight minutes and give the University of
New England a 9-8 win over the University of Southern Maine in a non-conference men's lacrosse game Thursday afternoon at Hodgdon Field.

The win was the second straight for the Nor'easters and lifts their overall record to 4-11.  The Huskies had their two-game winning streak snapped and slide to 4-11 overall.

Trailing 8-5, Leyden began the Nor'easters rally scoring off an assist from #Steve Smith# '11 (Walpole, Mass.) with 8:07 to play.  #Luke DiFiore# (Gloucester, Mass.) cut the deficit to one at 5:09, and #Bobby Labbe# '09 (Lewiston, Maine) drew the Nor'easters even with 2:30 to go.  Leyden got the game winner coming from behind the cage and beating USM goalie James Suriyodorn '09 (Deer Park, N.Y.) as two USM defenders checked him.

Southern Maine built its three-goal cushion outscoring UNE 3-0 in the third quarter.  Preston Gilbert (Saco, Maine), Alex Pleau (Lewiston, Maine) and Matt Soule (Denmark, Maine) had the goals.  After Soule's goal, the Huskies offense could not beat UNE goalie #Andy Briggs# '09 (Scituate, R.I.) over the final 21 minutes.  Briggs made seven of his 14 saves over that span.

The first half was the tale of two quarters.  UNE went out to a 4-1 lead in the first quarter with Leyden scoring twice.  The second period belonged to USM with Gilbert scoring twice, Pleau and senior Rob Dorr (Evanston, Ill.) once each to counter the lone UNE goal by Leyden and leave the teams tied at halftime 5-5.

Suriyodorn finished the game making 18 saves.  Gilbert finished with four goals and two assists while Pleau had two goals and one assist.

Leyden had a six-point game with five goals and one assist.  Smith finished with two assists.

Southern Maine will travel to Keene, N.H., on Saturday (1:00 p.m.) to play Little East Conference rival Keene State College in its season finale.  UNE will host Nichols College on Saturday (3:00 p.m.) for a
Commonwealth Coast Conference game.

(posted April 24, 2008 | 21:15 ET)