TOWSON, Md. – Junior midfielder Mitchell Rosensweig (Pikesville H.S./Baltimore, Md.) scored the game-winning goal with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter to lead 20th-ranked Towson University (1-1) to a 10-9 non-conference victory over 16th-ranked University of Denver (1-3) at Johnny Unitas Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The Tigers snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory, dating back to last season. It was the Pioneers' third straight loss after opening the season with a victory over Colgate.

After freshman midfielder Jamie Lincoln (St. Cathariens, Ontario, Canada) scored with 29 seconds remaining to tie the game at 9-9, Rosensweig won the ensuing face-off and raced down the field before scoring on a bounce shot past junior goalkeeper Austin Konkel (Regis Jesuit H.S./Aurora, Colo.) for the third goal of his college career.

"I just saw the ball squirt out and picked it up," Rosensweig said of the game-winning goal. "I just ran as hard as I could toward the goal and hoped it went in."

The Pioneers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first 19 minutes of the game as three different players scored a goal. However, the Tigers countered by scoring three goals in less than two minutes to tie the game at 3-3. Lincoln gave the Pioneers a 4-3 lead at the intermission when he scored his first goal of the game off a feed from junior midfielder Joey Murray (Regis Jesuit H.S./Denver, Colo.) with 1:49 remaining in the period.

Trailing by a goal to start the second half, the Tigers tallied four unanswered goals to take a 7-4 lead with 5:04 remaining in the third quarter. Junior midfielder Randall Cooper (Friends School/Phoenix, Md.) scored two of the Tigers' goals during the rally while senior attackman Jonathan Engelke (Farmingdale H.S./Massapequa, N.Y.) added a pair of assists.

After the teams traded goals, the Pioneers scored back-to-back goals from senior attackman Jon Paulson (Hunterdon Central H.S./Flemington, N.J.) to close within 8-7 with 7:33 left in the fourth quarter. Engelke regained the Tigers' two-goal edge when he scored his third goal of the game by converting a feed from freshman attackman Tim Stratton (Manheim Township H.S./Lititz, Pa.) with 6:36 left.

But, the Pioneers used a goal from Paulson with 4:14 remaining to narrow the margin to 9-8 before Lincoln tied the game to set up the heroics.

"A win is a win," Towson Coach Tony Seaman said. "Nobody will remember how. Mitchell had a lot of heart and determination and he made a really good shot to win it for us."

Engelke led the Tigers with a game-high five points, scoring three goals with two assists while Cooper added three goals with an assist. Stratton added the first two assists of his college career.

Paulson scored three goals to lead Denver in a losing effort while Lincoln posted a two-goal effort. Konkel made 11 saves for the Pioneers, who were outshot by a 37-30 margin.

* * * *

TOWSON, Md. – The No. 16 University of Denver men's lacrosse team could not hold off No. 20 Towson, falling 10-9, on Sunday afternoon at Unitas Stadium.

Denver (1-3) jumped out a 3-0 lead after junior Joey Murray (Denver, Colo.) and senior Brett Koll (Fort Collins, Colo.) recorded goals in the opening stanza and junior Cliff Smith (Surrey, B.C.) added his seventh goal of the season at 11:20 in the second quarter.

Towson (1-1) rattled off three unanswered goals to tie the game at 3-3, but freshman Jamie Lincoln (St. Cathariens, Ontario) scored with 1:49 left in the half, giving the Pioneers the 4-3 lead at half.

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2008-03-02