Junior attack Leo Shidler (Peabody, MA/Peabody) netted two goals and one assist lifting the Mustangs over non-conference opponent New England College, 6-5, in a last minute thriller at Mount Ida College this Monday afternoon. MIC would improve to 6-4 overall, 3-0 in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) while the Pilgrims drop to 1-7, 1-3 in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC).

There wouldn't be a goal tallied by either team until the 25th minute of the contest in the second quarter when Mustang junior Brett Conley (Fairfield, CT/Fairfield Warde) made it 1-0 off a pass from Shidler.

After the break, the Pilgrims would add two, both by NEC senior midfielder Carlos Gutierrez (Guaynabo, P.R./Flager Palm Coast) giving the visitors the 2-1 advantage with 7:34 remaining in the third set. Five minutes later, the Mustangs would knot the game at 2-2 on Shidler's first score of the contest with 2:41 to go heading into the final quarter.

The tie wouldn't last long with freshman Paul Battapaglia (Clinton, CT/Morgan) regaining the lead for Mount Ida at 3-2 in the first 27 seconds of the fourth. Shidler would add some insurance netting his second of the game with 12:49 showing on the clock up 4-2. The Mustangs would add another, Conley's second of the game, off a long assist by goaltender Matt Vernik (Bethany, CT/Amity Regional) stretching the advantage to 5-2.

The Pilgrims wouldn't go quietly, firing in the next two scores by sophomore Matt Vozzolo (Somers, CT/Somers) and senior Dillon Lantz (Woodstock, VT/Woodstock) cutting the hosts lead to 5-4 with 6:42.

Mount Ida freshman Frank Rozio (Clinton, CT/Clinton) would widen the margin to 6-4 with his first goal of the season off a pass by freshman Dan Harrington (Westford, MA/Westford Academy), making it much harder for a late comeback by the visitors with 5:41 to go.

Vozzolo would cut it back to a one goal advantage with 2:52 left in the game for the Pilgrims making it 6-5 in favor of the Mustangs. Mount Ida would suffer a delay of game call with two minutes left, giving the visitors the momentum and the possession. NEC would pound the net with shots with the clock winding down, but MIC would not back down with some solid defense by senior's Tom Watts (Ardmore, PA/Lower Merion) and Luke Philip Wilson (Essex, MA/Ipswich) giving the Mustangs the 6-5 victory, their sixth of the year.

Vernik would save nine shots for Mount Ida and tally his first assist of the year while Pilgrims stopper Nick Acquaviva (Syracuse, NY/Cicero-North Syracuse) also saved nine.

The Mustangs will host North Atlantic Conference (NAC) opponent Daniel Webster College this Wednesday with the first face-off coming at 3:00 p.m.

2008-04-08