USAFA, Colo. – With overtime looming, Air Force Academy's Chris Walsch scored with three seconds remaining to stun the
Robert Morris University men's lacrosse team, 10-9, this afternoon from a sunny Falcon Stadium.
Robert Morris (2-11, 1-4 NEC) junior attack
Luke Laszkiewicz registered his eighth career hat trick with a career-high five goals, including a tally at the doorstep with 2:27 left to give the Colonials a 9-8 lead. However, Air Force (8-5) responded with 49 seconds remaining to tie it, and scored the aforementioned goal to escape with the victory.
The Colonials jumped out to an early lead when Laszkiewicz buried a feed from redshirt junior attack
Eric Wales following a win on the opening face-off. The Falcons answered to tie it at one, but the junior from Oshawa, Ontario picked up his second of the quarter to give RMU a 2-1 lead after 15 minutes.
The visitors stretched their lead to two after Air Force knotted things up once again. Wales found netting 4:38 into the second quarter, while Laszkiewicz completed his hat trick four minutes later to make it 4-2.
The Falcons stormed out of the gates in the second half, rattling off four consecutive goals to take their first lead at 6-4. Sophomore midfielder
Alexander Bohl stopped the bleeding for the Colonials with 2:33 left in the third quarter, but Air Force had two answers to extend its advantage to 8-5.
RMU regrouped after an early fourth quarter timeout as junior midfielder
Eric Rankel found his classmate Laszkiewicz for a goal with 9:58 left. Freshman midfielder
Carter Yepsen cut the deficit to one a couple of minutes later, then junior
James Rahe tied it with a left-handed rip from the top of the box.
With senior captain
Michael Seidel serving an unnecessary roughness penalty, freshman goaltender
Chase Rose kept the game tied with a spectacular diving save on the Falcons' Grant Gould. The Colonials would clear it to erase the extra-man chance, setting up Laszkewicz's fifth tally of the day that swung the advantage back to RMU.
Rose made eight saves on the afternoon, giving him the fifth-highest total in single-season program history at 127.
Senior captain
Joseph Scenna earned his 53rd career start, pulling him in a tie for the program record with Dan Mulford (2006-09). The defenseman from Collegeville, Pa. caused two turnovers this afternoon.
The Colonials were just 9-22 from the X, but freshman midfielder
David Sturgis was victorious on half of his eight draws.
Robert Morris closes its 2015 campaign next Saturday from Joe Walton Stadium at 1:00 p.m. against Wagner. Before the contest, the Colonials will celebrate the careers of four student-athletes (
Luc Magnan,
Jacob Ruest,
Joseph Scenna, and
Michael Seidel) as a part of Senior Day festivities.
