Rutgers' Kelly Scores Game's Final Three Goals In 7-6 Lax Win Over UMass :: UMass freshman Peter McNichols tallies hat trick in men's lacrosse's final game.

UMass freshman Peter McNichols tallies hat trick in men's lacrosse's final game.

May 3, 2008

AMHERST, Mass. - Rutgers freshman Kory Kelly scored the last three goals of the game to rally the Scarlet Knights to a 7-6 win in the men's lacrosse season finale for both teams on Saturday afternoon. Rutgers finishes third in the ECAC with a 4-3 conference mark and a 6-7 overall record. The Minutemen close the year at 5-9 overall, 3-4 in the ECAC. UMass' freshman attacker Peter McNichols posted his third career hat trick in the loss.

The game was the final college game for six UMass seniors: Fred Federico, Nicholas Glasser, David Von Voigt and senior captains Brian Danvers, Sean Krygier, and Paul Manesis.

After UMass had taken its first lead of the game at 5-4 on McNichols' third goal of the afternoon 51 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Minutemen then built a two-goal advantage as Bobby Hayes broke a four-game scoring slump with a tally with 12:11 left in regulation.

Then Kelly broke Rutgers' scoreless streak at 24:07 on his second of four goals in the game with 6:56 left in regulation. That started his scoring burst. Kelly then ripped a Justin Pennington pass past UMass goalie Doc Schneider to tie the game at 6-6 with 5:49 left in regulation. Kelly scored the game-winner on a blast with 1:07 left in the game capping a run of three goals in 5:49 for the talented freshman.

Rutgers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first quarter on goals by Hunter Burnard and Pennington. UMass' Ryan Bagnasco scored on a bounce shot to break the ice late in the first quarter. McNichols tied the game at 2-2 with 9;35 left in the first half.

Rutgers re-took a two-goal advantage at 4-2 on goals by Jeff Rommel and Kelly's first of the game with 1:03 left in the first half. UMass and the ECAC's leading scorer Tim Balise scored with 35 seconds left in the first half for a 4-3 Rutgers edge at halftime. Balise finished with 33 goals and six assists for 39 points to lead UMass in goals and points as a junior.

In goal, Schneider made 11 saves to give him 548 in his career, moving him to fourth all-time at UMass, in just three seasons. He passed Bill Schell, who had 547 from 2002-05. Rutgers' Bill Olin made nine saves.

UMass was outshot 30-28, but they had a 27-20 lead over the final three quarters.

On defense, Danvers had three caused turnovers and two groundballs in his final college game. Krygier and Von Voigt each had two groundballs. Manesis had a groundball and two caused turnovers.