NEWTON, Mass. - In the fourth annual Frostbite Classic, the Mount Ida College men's lacrosse team led 9-6 heading into the fourth quarter of action only to surrender four scores in the final frame of regulation to visiting Curry College sending the contest into overtime knotted at 10-10 Saturday afternoon on Alumni Field. Colonel sophomore attacker John Castellano (Scarsdale, NY/Iona Prep) scored not only the tying tally, but the game winner with two minutes remaining in the extra period to give Curry their fourth straight Frostbite trophy handling an 11-10 non-league victory.
Mount Ida was led by senior midfielder Nick Yacuzzi (Worcester, MA/St. John's –Shrewsbury) and freshman attacker Phil Pichel (Hopkinton, MA/Hopkinton) with four goals each with Hopkinton native adding an assist respectively. Yacuzzi scored two big goals to keep the Colonels at arm's length snuffing out the visiting momentum between the third and fourth quarters.
After a season opening win at Salve Regina University (11-7), the Mustangs drop their first loss falling to an overall record of 1-1 and will host another non-conference match-up Wednesday afternoon against visiting New England College with opening face-off at 3:30 p.m. Curry has yet to lose a game improving to 2-0 and will head home and face visiting non-league Southern Maine University Tuesday evening in Milton, Massachusetts starting at 4:00 p.m. Neither team as competed in conference action.
After an Castellano score in the opening two and a half minutes (12:27) of the contest to give the visitors the 1-0 advantage, Mount Ida racked up the next four scores through the end of the first quarter through the beginning of the second. Yacuzzi and Pichel added two scores each during the stretch to give the Mustangs a 4-1 advantage with 10:51 to go in the second stanza.
Curry notched the next three scores on tallies from Castellano, and senior midfielder's Joseph Natale (Haverhill, MA/Haverhill) and Andrew Navoni (Natick, MA/Rivers School) through the next five minutes of play in the second pulling within one (4-3).
The Mustangs eventually regained momentum adding the final two scores of the second quarter from Pichel and sophomore attacker Michael Trocchi (Danvers, MA/Danvers) leading 6-4 heading into the break.
Curry pulled within one goal early in the third quarter (10:25) down 7-6 capped on a man-up goal from sophomore midfielder Ronald Jensen (Zionville, IN/Zionsville Comm.) on a dish from Navoni. Mount Ida created some distance notching another two scores, one each from Pichel and Yacuzzi, to overtake a 9-6 lead heading into the final frame.
Desperation set in on the visitors side heading into the last stanza with Curry answering the challenge notching the first three scores on tallies from Natale and sophomore's Connor McKeon (Larchmont, NY/Mamaroneck) and John Donahoe (Wakefield, MA/Austin Prep) tying the score at 9-9 with 8:20 to go.
The squads exchanged points starting with an unassisted bid from Mount Ida's Yacuzzi for his fourth and final score of the game. With 7:27 remaining in regulation, Castellano re-knotted the action at 10-10 putting pressure on the Mustangs to answer back.
Although both sides had opportunities through the final minutes, neither could convert sending the game into overtime.
Mount Ida won the opening face-off to start the extra stanza but failed to convert handing the ball to Curry. The Colonels possession was sloppy but Castellano was able to sneak a shot into the back of the net to give the visitors an exciting 11-10 victory in a heartbreaking loss for the hosts.
Also leading the charge for the Mustangs with Yacuzzi and Pichel, junior long stick midfielder Corey Gelbstein (Greenwich, CT/Forman) added seven ground balls and two turnovers while Trocchi dished out two assists and netted two scores. Junior's Zach Rosen (East Greenwich, RI/St. Andrew's School) and Shaun Royce (South Windsor, CT/Hanover) notched an assist a piece.
Curry face-off specialist, sophomore Mitch Morin (West Hartford, CT/Hall), went 13-24 in the middle circle with a team high eight ground balls.
Mount Ida goaltender Kyle Cordaro (Worcester, MA/Hebron Academy) was solid with a game-high 16 saves. Curry senior Timothy McGonagle (Concord, MA/Concord-Carlisle) saw the first three quarters for the Colonels with 13 stops surrendering nine goals. Visiting senior net minder Thomas D'Amato (West Simsbury, CT/Forman School) saw the final quarter and extra period giving up only one goal with two saves. (Game Recap Courtesy of Mount Ida Sports Information)
