PISCATAWAY, N.J. (May 2, 2009) – Junior Gerhard Buehning (Essex Fells, N.J.) tallied a career-high four goals to pace a stellar effort from the Rutgers men's lacrosse team, but No. 15 UMass prevailed 11-10 in overtime to clinch the 2009 ECAC title Saturday afternoon at Yurcak Field.

Trailing by one with less than two minutes to play, Buehning tied the game at 10 with his fourth goal of the day off a pass from freshman Mike Diehl (Flemington, N.J.) to send the game into overtime. Buehning had a chance to win the game for the Scarlet Knights a minute into the extra stanza, but Minutemen goalkeeper Doc Schneider made his 19th save of the game. UMass would score on the ensuing possession as Tim Balise posted his game-high fifth goal on a bounce shot that slid past RU senior goalkeeper Peter Pantages (Roseland, N.Y.).

Rutgers (4-11, 2-5) received significant contributions from sophomore Kory Kelly (Princeton, N.J.) and junior Justin Pennington (Flemington, N.J.). Kelly scored two goals to end the year with a team-high 27 and Pennington posted a goal and dished out a game-high two assists. Pennington ends the year as RU's leader in points (32) and assists (16).

“I believe in the people in our locker room and the quality of the people in there,” said head coach Jim Stagnitta. “They showed a lot today. UMass had everything to play for and we didn't have anything to play for, except pride. The effort was terrific and we had our chances. We never quit and never let down.

“Some people stepped up and played the way they are capable of playing. I can walk away, as disappointed as I am and I know these guys are in the way the season turned out, knowing that what I thought about the ability and the talent level of this group is true. The majority of the guys are coming back and even though this loss is difficult, hopefully we'll learn from it and get better.”

Rutgers played perhaps its best quarter of the season in the opening stanza. After a UMass (9-5, 6-1) goal from Art Kell, the Scarlet Knights scored five consecutive goals from five different players to take a 5-1 lead. The five scores were the most UMass gave up in the opening quarter all year.

The Minutemen answered though, scoring five unanswered goals themselves, including three in the second quarter. UMass held RU scoreless for 26:03 and a goal from Balise would break the 5-5 halftime tie and give the Minutemen their first lead of the day.

Rutgers responded with back-to-back goals from Kelly and Buhning in a less than two minute span to reclaim the lead, 7-6. The back-and-forth affair would continue as Balise and Jim Connolly scored consecutive goals to put the Minutemen back ahead at the end of the third quarter.

Buehnings third goal of the day tied the game at eight just a minute into the fourth. Bobby Hayes put UMass back on top, 9-8, with his ninth tally of the season just two minutes later. Stellar goalkeeping and solid defense would be the story over the next eight minutes and RU did not attempt a shot until a Kelly rip found the back of the net to tie the game at nine with less than four minutes remaining.

Connolly's third goal of the day gave UMass its fourth lead (10-9) of the second half and would set the stage for the dramatic final minutes.

Prior to today's opening face-off, seven Scarlet Knight seniors were honored for their careers at Rutgers. Stephen Campbell (Vestal, N.Y.), Mike DeMeo (Manhasset, N.Y.), Mike Dugan (Summit, N.J.), Chris O'Dougherty (Kinnelon, N.J.), Pantages, Jeff Rommel (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Will Stone (Wantagh, N.Y.) make up the 2009 RU senior class.

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2009-05-02