OFFICIAL SITE OF THE
SONOMA STATE
MEN'S LACROSSE TEAM
Sonoma Dominates Oregon State In a Downpour, 14-1
The Seawolves defeated Oregon State in dominant fashion on Saturday, February 1st by a score of 14-1. In a rainy affair, SSU displayed a combination of impenetrable defense, a suffocating ride, and efficient scoring to improve to 2-0 on the season.
In the first quarter, for the second straight game, it was Freshman sensation DJ Santiago who scored first on a right handed shot set-up by Junior Captain Benen Powers (2 goals, 3 assists). Santiago led the Seawolves offense with 4 goals on the day. In total, 8 different players found the back of the net for Sonoma, including Freshman attackman Stas McClone and Junior midfielder Ryan Kane, both who scored their first career goals. Other standout performances from the game include Senior midfielder Devin Schulte (1 goal, 2 assists), Senior midfielder Nick Frangione (2 goals), Junior Captain Dylan Hardy (4 ground balls), and Sophomore net minder Riley Corcoran (1 goal allowed, 6 saves).
The Seawolves took control early in the first and never looked back, scoring 5 goals in the first quarter. As the game progressed, the Seawolves kept momentum through their relentless ride that helped to generate scoring opportunities for SSU and limit time of possession for the Beavers. Following a nice unassisted goal from Kane on a right alley dodge, Sonoma entered halftime with a comfortable 7-0 lead.
"We really emphasized positioning and technique within our ride this week in practice, so it was great to see the boys execute at the level they did today." -Coach Hewitt
In the third quarter, SSU's offense continued to score at will and move the ball effectively, as evidenced by 8 of their 14 goals being assisted. After 3 quarters, the Seawolves led 10 to 0. Early in the fourth, Frangione scored back to back goals on feeds inside, the second of which he displayed great patience, moving the goalie with a series of shot fakes before burying a goal. Later in the fourth quarter, Freshman midfielder Matt McCurdy (1 goal, 1 assist) had arguably the play of the day when he used his size to bully the Oregon State defender to the ground with a bull dodge and then scorch a shot past the OSU keeper for a highlight reel finish.
The Noma defense was dominant from start to finish, led by Sophomore goalie Riley Corcoran (6 saves), close defender Dylan Hardy, and strong play by both Senior Captain Mitch Stock (3 groundballs) and Junior Dustin Smith (8 ground balls) at long stick midfield. It was Corcoran's second straight game with a phenomenal save percentage (85.7%) and sharp decision making in the clearing game. The Beavers managed only 7 shots on cage all game and were held scoreless until the final 3 minutes, when a failed clear led to a numbers advantage for Oregon State in which they capitalized for their only goal of the game.
The Seawolves now have their sights set on their first WCLL matchup of the season when they host Stanford on Saturday, February 8th at 1pm at Sunrise Park. 