Philippi Nets Three As No. 11 Stevens Scores Big Road Win Over No. 10 Lynchburg
LYNCHBURG, Va. (March 16, 2011) – Sophomore Nicolas Philippi turned in a hat-trick, while senior co-captain Brandon Faubert, juniors Kevin Rose and Alex Hofrichter, and freshman Christian Saley each added a pair of scores as the Stevens Institute of Technology men’s lacrosse team, ranked 11th in the latest USILA Coaches Poll, earned a big road win over No. 10 Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Va. With the victory the undefeated Ducks improved to 6-0 on the season, while dropping the Hornets to 4-3 on the year.
Hoping to assert itself early, Lynchburg tallied a pair of goals within the first five minutes of action before going up 3-0 with just under nine minutes to go in the first period. Sophomore Max Voumard (Cape May, N.J.) kick-started the Hornets’ run with an even strength goal at 11:48 before junior attacker Ben Sauer (Richmond, Va.) netted another Lynchburg tally just 39 seconds later to put the home team up two. Voumard bookended the quick Lynchburg spurt with an unassisted marker at 8:42.
Undaunted, the visiting Ducks settled into the game, reeling off three scores of their own over the final eight of the frame to deadlock the contest. Hofrichter got Stevens started by scoring a man-up goal at 7:01 off a Saley assist. Less than three minutes later, Saley found the back of the Hornet net, before Philippi buried an unassisted tally with just 49 ticks left in the quarter.
Sauer responded with the first score of the second, notching his second goal of the game at the 13:25 mark, but Philippi quickly pulled the Ducks back even, answering with a marker of his own just under the 11-minute mark. After an Andrew Wilfong (Columbus, Ohio) goal helped Lynchburg regain the lead, Stevens rattled off three unanswered scores to wrestle control of the game just before the half.
Junior defenseman Matt Marks got the Ducks started with an unassisted goal at 6:57 before Faubert recorded his second tally of the evening to give Stevens’ its first lead of the game. With 2:20 to go before the intermission, fellow senior co-captain Chris Laurita drilled an unassisted goal of his own to stake Stevens to a 7-5 halftime lead.
Hoping to build on their momentum coming out of the break, Hofrichter notched the first score of the third, extending the Ducks lead to three at 13:17, before Saley again rifled it into the net – just over a minute after the junior attacker’s goal.
Voumard would finally put an end to five-straight Stevens goals with a tally at 11:54, but two consecutive Philippi and Faubert goals suddenly gave the Ducks a five-point margin heading into the final period. Trying to mount a comeback bid, the Hornets outscored Stevens 4-2 in the fourth, but two Rose goals in the period helped Stevens do just enough down the stretch, as the Ducks secured a 13-10 triumph – their sixth-straight to open the season.
Saley, Philippi, and Laurita led Stevens with three points apiece, while Faubert, Hofrichter, and Rose each added a pair of scores. Junior goalkeeper Eric Yando, who made 12 saves en route to his sixth win of the year, paced the Ducks with nine ground balls, while Rose, Hofrichter and Philippi each added four. Senior defenseman Zach McHugh anchored the Ducks’ defense with three caused turnovers, while Rose and sophomore Brian Seldeen each caused a pair of Lynchburg miscues.
Voumard led the Hornets with three goals, while Sauer and senior midfielder Eddie Bilinkas (Randolph, N.J.) each added two scores. Junior goalkeeper Franc Cook (Milton, Del.) made 12 saves and picked up seven ground balls in the loss, while sophomore defenseman Joseph Lisicky (Chadds Ford, Pa.) chipped in with five ground balls and four turnovers.
Stevens finished the day with a 55-36 shot advantage, while converting 2-of-3 man-up opportunities. The Ducks, who also went 17-for-20 on clears, while helping to cause 21 Lynchburg turnovers, will return to action on March 23 against Montclair State University.