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Canisius University Athletics

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Keegan Kozack scores on a diving shot against VMI keeper Adam Norris during game action at the Demske Sports Complex on April 1, 2023
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11
Winner VMI VMI 5-6, 2-3 MAAC
10
Canisius CAN 2-9, 1-4 MAAC
Winner
VMI VMI
5-6, 2-3 MAAC
11
Final
10
Canisius CAN
2-9, 1-4 MAAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT F
VMI VMI 4 4 1 1 1 11
Canisius CAN 4 4 1 1 0 10

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Tripped up by Keydets in Overtime

Hartley Jordan scored at the 2:57 mark of overtime to lift VMI to a 10-9 victory over Canisius in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's lacrosse action Saturday at the Demske Sports Complex.
 
Jordan's overtime marker was his second goal of the day while Will Duffy notched a hat trick and Luke Rusterucci finished with four points (1g/3a) for the Keydets (5-6, 2-3 MAAC). AJ Stamos tallied one goal and two assists while Adam Norris made 14 saves between the pipes for the visitors.
 
Redshirt sophomore Colin Kelly led all players with six points as he notched a game-high five goals and one assist for the Golden Griffins (2-9, 1-4 MAAC). Junior Keegan Kozack recorded a hat trick while freshman face-off specialist Micah Hanson was 14-of-24 at the X with a game-high 12 ground balls.
 
After a low-scoring second half that saw both teams manage just two tallies each, VMI won the opening face off in overtime and worked its way into the Canisius half of the field before calling timeout.
 
Once play resumed, Jordan missed on his first shot attempt of the extra session before sending the Keydets home happy moments later when he fired a shot between the legs of Canisius goalie Tommy Kunz from the left side to seal the win.
 
Earlier in the contest, VMI jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before Canisius responded with four unanswered tallies, highlighted by a natural hat trick from Kozack, to grab a 4-3 lead late in the first quarter.
 
The Keydets tied the game moments later on Jordan's first goal of the campaign, igniting a three-goal spurt that put VMI up, 6-4, with 10:47 to play in the second quarter.
 
Kelly brought the Griffs level during the middle stages of the second quarter with a pair of tallies less than two minutes apart, but Stamos notched his second of the game to push the Keydets back in front with just over six minutes to play before halftime.
 
Kelly once again had an answer for the Blue and Gold as he authored his second pair of back-to-back goals to put the Griffs in front by one with less than two minutes to play in the half.  Rusterucci had an answer for the Keydets, knotting the game for the fifth time in the first half when he found the back of the net with less than 10 seconds to play to send the teams to the locker room tied at 8-8.
 
The second half saw both teams trade individual goals as Duffy scored once in both the third and fourth quarters for the Keydets, only to have senior Mikey Howe and junior Jackson Webster counter for the Griffs. Canisius had a chance to win the game in regulation, but a shot attempt from Kozack in the final seconds of the fourth found the crossbar and stayed out of the goal.   
 
Head Coach Mark Miyashita's Post Game Comments Game Notes
• Saturday's contest served as the 19th all-time meeting between Canisius and VMI and the first between the two programs since the 2015 campaign. The win by the Keydets snapped a six-game winning streak in the series for the Griffs.
• VMI outshot Canisius by a 38-37 margin during the contest, including a 2-0 edge in overtime.
• The teams were tied at the end of all four quarters of regulation.
• Canisius was 1-for-4 in man-up situations while VMI was 0-for-5 with the extra attacker on Saturday.
• With Saturday's contest, Canisius has now played consecutive overtime games for the first time since the 2018 MAAC Championship, when it went to overtime in matchups with Quinnipiac (May 3) and Detroit Mercy (May 5).
• Kelly tallied his sixth hat trick of the season with his five-goal performance on Saturday. His six points also marked the third time this season that he has tallied five or more points in a game.
• Kozack recorded his third hat trick of the season with his three-goal performance on Saturday.
• Hanson scooped up double-digit ground balls in a game for the second straight game and fifth time this season with his 12 ground balls on Saturday. Hanson also won 14 or more face offs in a game for the fifth time this season.
• Junior Ryan Furlong led all players with three caused turnovers and pitched in two ground balls.
 
Up Next
Canisius returns to action April 8 with a 1 p.m. MAAC contest at LIU.

For all the latest updates on Canisius men's lacrosse, be sure to follow @GriffsMLax on Twitter and Instagram.
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