NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Six players recorded three or more points as the No. 7/8 Yale University men’s lacrosse team moved 3-0 on the season defeating Bryant 16-9.
Ben Reeves (Macedon, N.Y.) led the victors with three goals and two assists. The freshman was one of four Bulldogs, Conrad Oberbeck (Greenwich, Conn.), Jeff Cimbalista (New Hope, Pa.) and Eric Scott (Basking Ridge, N.J.), to score three goals on the afternoon. Michael Bonacci (Crofton, Md.) led Yale with four assists.
The blue and white scored four unanswered goals over the final 8:15 of the first period to take an early lead on Bryant.
Off an opening face-off win, Reilly Naton (Duxbury, Mass.) scored 18 seconds into the game for Yale to open the scoring. It was the second goal of the season for the junior.
Bryant knotted the score less than a minute later on a rebound goal by Shane Morrell (Glen Mills, Pa.).
Reeves gave the Elis a 2-1 lead at the 6:45 mark of the first quarter. Bonacci garnered the assist on the freshman’s tally.
The two-time reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Week picked up his second goal of the game later in the first quarter.
With 2:59 remaining in the opening period, Oberbeck found the back of the net off a Bonacci pass. The senior added another strike in the final minute of the quarter. Reeves assisted on Yale’s fifth goal of the game. The Tewaaraton Award candidate has now scored a goal in 27-straight games, the second-longest such streak in the NCAA.
Both teams scored three goals in the second quarter, allowing the Elis to maintain their four goal lead.
Morrell scored his second goal of the game with 10:20 left in the first half. The junior split a pair of blue and white clad defenders and bounced a shot past Yale goalie Eric Natale (Westminster, Md.)
Yale regained its four goal advantage on the first career goal by Jason Alessi (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.). Reeves assisted on the tally.
Morrell completed his hat trick at the 7:58 mark of the second period. Cam Ziegler (Carlsbad, Calif.) had the helper.
With 4:26 left in the second quarter, Cimbalista scored his fifth goal of the season, off a beautiful crossing pass from Bonacci.
At the 12:25 mark of the period, Morrell got his fourth of the game, assisted by Tom Kennedy (Farmingdale, N.Y.).
Cimbalista closed the first-half scoring with 8.8 seconds left. The sophomore leaped to one-time an Alessi dish past Bryant goalie Gunnar Waldt (Freeland, Md.).
Yale scored the first two goals of the second half to open up a six-goal lead.
Scott opened the third quarter scoring with a man-up goal 50 seconds in. The Elis hit double-digits for the third time this season when Colin Flaherty (Eastport, N.Y.) bounced one past Waldt with 12:26 left in the third.
Collins Gantz (Denver, Colo.) scored for Bryant to break the Yale run at the 4:33 mark of the third. 3:11 lated, the Yale lead returned to four when Tucker James (Essex Fells, N.J.) ripped one past Natale.
Reeves completed his hat trick with 4:34 left in the third quarter. Bonacci had his fourth assist of the game on the hard shot on the ground.
The lead went back to four on a behind the back goal by James at the 11:51 mark.
Yale entered the fourth quarter with a 12-7 lead when Oberbeck scored his hat trick goal with 1:23 left in the third off a Cimbalista pass.
The home team opened the final period with three quick goals Cimbalista opened the fourth quarter scoring with a man-down goal at the 1:12 mark. Naton assisted on the sophomore’s hat trick goal. Scott scored his second and third goals of the game 1:37 apart to have the home team go up eight.
James broke the Elis’ run with a hat trick goal with 9:48 left followed by a Ziegler strike 3:08 later.
Alessi ripped his second goal of the game with 5:30 remaining to close the scoring.
With three goals on the sunny Saturday afternoon, Oberbeck continued his climb up the career scoring lists. The senior now sits tied for 13th on the career scoring chart with 134 points and remains third on career goals list with 105.
Morrell led the visitors with five points, four goals, all in the first half and one assist. James added three goals for Bryant (1-3, 0-0 NEC).
The two offenses had their way on the sunny day, combining for 25 goals on 28 shots on cage.
The Bulldogs, 3-0 for the first time since 2011, have their first road game of the season on March 3 at St. John’s.
