ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College was eliminated in the semifinal round of the Middle Atlantic Conference playoffs Thursday with a 9-5 home loss to Widener University. Etown was seeded second in the playoffs, while Widener was the number three seed. Etown wraps up its 2007 season 10-5 overall – its best single-season record in the six-year history of the program – with the loss, while Widener improves to 11-5 with the win and advances to face top-seeded Messiah College on the road Saturday in the conference title game.

The teams were tied 5-5 entering the fourth quarter, and Widener's Gavin Goane (Springfield, PA/Springfield) scored with 10:05 left in the game to put the Pride ahead to stay, 6-5. Widener added further goals with 8:25, 2:23 and 1:36 left.

Senior midfielder Frankie Puzzangara (Wallingford, PA/Strath Haven) led Elizabethtown in scoring with two goals, and the two-time MAC Player of the Year wrapped up his career with Elizabethtown record totals of 129 goals, 167 points, 542 shots and 322 ground balls. He also set a new Etown single-season ground ball record with 126 in 2007. Also scoring single goals for the Blue Jays were Andrew Wagner (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright), Ryan McCafferty (Orlando, FL/William R. Boone) and Keith Staulters (Ballston Spa, NY/Ballston Spa).

Brian Stromko (Maplewood, NJ/Columbia) scored four times to lead the Pride. Goane scored twice for Widener and had one assist, and Luke Weber (Lititz, PA/Manheim Township) added two goals as well.

2007-05-04