GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore attackman Zach Pucci (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) and junior midfielder Ben Sufrin (Mahopac, N.Y./Mahopac) each had five points on three goals and two assists to lead No. 2 Gettysburg to a 12-11 win against Haverford in the Centennial Conference (CC) semifinal at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium on Friday afternoon. The Bullets advance to the conference title game for the seventh time in the tournament's seven-year history, and for the seventh time, they will face No. 16 Washington (Md.), which defeated Dickinson, 9-8, in the second semifinal.

Gettysburg (13-2) will be competing for its fourth straight CC title and record 11th overall in the conference's 14-year existence. Washington (11-5) has won the other three titles, most recently winning in 2003.

Friday's back-and-forth action was unprecedented in the CC semifinals. On three previous occasions, one of the semifinals was decided by one goal, but it had never happened that both games in one tournament were won by that narrowest of margins.

Pucci and Sufrin both matched their career highs with three goals, and the five points are also a career-best for Pucci. None of his points was bigger than his third goal with 2:48 to play in the fourth quarter that gave the Bullets a 12-10 lead. The Fords (8-6) drew it within one goal with 53 seconds showing on the clock, but could never get the equalizer.

Senior midfielder Jimmy Gates (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) took every faceoff for Gettysburg, winning 18-of-27. He came up one ground ball short of his career high with 13 and has reached double digits in scoops in four straight games. Junior defenseman Andrew McGann (Laguna, Calif./Holderness School [N.H.]) also had five ground balls and caused three turnovers. Freshman attackman Joe Brody (Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson) tallied four points on two goals and a pair of helpers. It is the sixth straight game he has had at least three points. Senior midfielder Greg Montgomery (Asheville, N.C./St. Andrew's School [Del.]) also scored twice.

Haverford was led at the offensive end by senior attackman Max Tcheyan, who had two goals and three assists for five points. Junior attackman Shane Hafer added a hat trick and an assist for four points. Senior defenseman Steve Selsor scooped seven ground balls on the day and caused a pair of turnovers.

The visitors scored three of the first four goals in the game. Hafer converted a back-to-front pass from Tcheyan just 1:24 in, but Gettysburg senior midfielder Kevin Freehill (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) answered 50 seconds later.

Freshman attackman Brian Fleishhacker put the Fords up 2-1 with 8:09 left in the first. Sophomore midfielder Peter Hannapel won the ensuing faceoff, scooped the ground ball and started a breakaway that resulted in a Tcheyan goal seven seconds later. Gettysburg then ran off three goals in a span of 3:37 and would never trail again despite Haverford tying it at 4-4 and pulling within one goal four different times.

After junior midfielder Dean Granoff knotted it at 4-4 with 1:04 to play in the opening quarter, the Bullets ripped off three straight to open up a 7-4 lead. With 12:48 to go in the second quarter, Haverford tried to get the ball out of its end on an extra-man opportunity for Gettysburg. A turnover gave the Bullets a 2-on-1 rush on which Brody fed Pucci for the goal. It was the game's only man-up goal with Gettysburg going 1-for-2 and holding the Fords scoreless in three tries.

Just over three minutes later, junior attackman Trip Dyer (Ocean View, Del./Worcester Prep [Md.]) made a nice swim move to clear his defender and run uncontested on goal for his only marker of the day. Less than a minute later, he set up Montgomery for an assist.

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2007-05-04