GEORGETOWN, T.X. - A rematch of a game that was decided by a single goal during the 2022 season ended with the same result in favor of the opposite team on Wednesday. UMass Boston Men's Lacrosse took on the hosting Pirates of Southwestern University and fell victims to a comeback, falling by a final score of 18-17.

THE BASICS
UMass Boston 17, Southwestern University 18

UMass Boston (4-2)
Southwestern University (1-6)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The two sides traded goals in the early going of the first quarter on Wednesday, with Matt Laverty, Dale Wills, and Shane McGonagle responding to a trio of early Southwestern scores to keep the game knotted at 3-3. The Beacons snagged the 4-3 advantage in the closing seconds of the frame courtesy of an unassisted goal from reigning Little East Conference Player of the Week Sean Daly.

The second period was more of the same back-and-forth affair from the Pirates and Beacons. After Southwestern had tied the game at four, the Kingston Connection of Greg Wolff and Daly went back to back to take their first multi-goal lead of the day, 6-4.

After the Pirates cut the lead back down to 6-5, Daly bookended a 3-0 run that gave the Beacons their largest lead yet. A goal courtesty of an assist from Caesar Hendricks and an assist dished out to Wolff sandhwiched a Jaden Cronin goal with an apple from Zach Mann. With under three minutes to play UMass Boston lead 9-5.

A Southwestern run spanning the end of the first half and the opening of the second not only got the Pirates back in the game, but reclaimed the lead, 10-9 with just inside of 10 miutes to play in the third. 

The best response to the 5-0 run for the Pirates was an identical 5-0 run for the Beacons. With Wolff bookending a Wills goal and Patrick Dwinnells bookending Wolff's, the visitors from Massachusetts took the advantage right back, 14-10 with under a minute to play in the third. 

In the early goings of the fourth, Jaden Cronin and Dwinnells traded goals with Southwestern to keep the hosts at bay, 16-12. The rest of the fourth, however, belonged to the Pirates, exclusively. In the span of less than seven minutes they ripped off five unanswered goals to reclaim a 17-16 lead.

With just under three minutes remaining in the game, Liam Bowler provided the Beacons' most important assist of the afternoon, feeding Mic Flynn in front of the net to tie the game at 17 all.

The Pirates, however, got the last laugh, touching the back of the net to take an 18-17 lead and shutting down the Beacons for the final two minutes of play to complete the upset.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Daly recorded his fourth straight hat trick and added two assists for a five-point day
• The Beacons won the turnover battle handily, causing 27 while committing just 17
• Dwinnells shot just three times and recorded a goal on all three shots
• UMass Boston completed 26 of their 27 clears
• Patrick carey scooped seven ground balls and caused a turnover
• The Beacons are now 1-1 all-time against Southwestern with both games being decided by a goal in the final three minutes

WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will make the return trip back to New England where they will take on their next opponent in the University of New England. They will travel to Biddeford, Maine to take on the Nor'Easters at 4 PM on March 20.