Scots On Wrong Side of One-Goal Game, as Three-Game Maryland Trip Opens with 15-14 Setback Versus Alfred

The College of Wooster men's lacrosse team's last-minute offensive surge was turned aside by Alfred University as the Saxons scored with 1:49 remaining, and recorded two saves in the final minute, to take a 15-14 contest over the Fighting Scots on Saturday afternoon at Frederick, Md.

Wooster (1-3), who had both of its games this week end in one-goal decisions, gained possession with about 1:20 remaining and brought the clock down to under :25 before a shot by senior Matt Parmelee sailed wide and Alfred (3-2 ) 'keeper Chris Bucciarelli turned aside junior Ian Brim's attempt at a game-tying goal. Then, junior Ryan Harms scooped up a groundball with four ticks left and gave way to junior Alexander Bloom for one final shot attempt that was stopped by Bucciarelli.

Parmelee opened the scoring six minutes into the contest off of an assist from senior CJ Polak, but Alfred responded with four straight goals and took a 5-2 lead into the second period before Wooster erupted for six goals in the second frame.

In the second period, Parmelee sparked a 3-0 run at the 9:29 mark with Bloom and first-year Cullen Kuhn adding tallies during the stretch to give Wooster its second lead of the contest at 7-6. Of note, Kuhn's goal was assisted on by none other than older brother Sam Kuhn.

Alfred's Joe Fornataro tucked in a goal with 2:50 remaining before halftime to knot the game at eight, and the Saxons took a two-goal lead at 10-8 with 7:27 remaining in the third period before senior Josh Herold finished a feed from Brim to tie the game at 11 with 1:11 left in the third.

In the fourth period, the Kuhn brothers connected on back-to-back goals, with Sam's putting Wooster back in front at 13-12 with 9:41 remaining. Later, Bloom found the back of the net with 3:49 to go, a tally that made it 14-13 before Alfred's Fornataro netted two goals in a 61-second span to close out the scoring.

Bloom led the way on the afternoon by matching his career-high with four goals, while Sam Kuhn and Parmelee each netted hat tricks to go with a combined three assists. Defensively, Harms led the way with nine groundballs while first-years Wesley Wagner and Noah Plotkin filled the stat sheet with 13 saves and three caused turnovers respectively.

Fornataro had a hand in eight of Alfred's 15 goals with six goals and two assists on the afternoon while Jimmy Pratti went 14-for-19 on face-offs to pair with seven groundballs.

Of note, Wooster's relentless pressure led to 26 turnovers by Alfred.

Next, Wooster travels to Goucher College (2-3) for a 3 p.m. tilt on Monday.