Box Score Washington, D.C. - (4/10/2015) – Continuing a pattern of late-season surges, the Chestnut Hill College men's lacrosse team dominated the middle portion of their East Coast Conference (ECC) tilt at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) this evening, using an 11-3 burst to turn a tie game into a sizeable cushion en route to a 15-12 decision. Freshman attack Dylan Klusaritz (Slatington, Pa.) erupted for a career-best seven points and junior attack mate Michael Plaia (Hicksville, N.Y.) notched his second straight five-point effort as the Griffins stayed alive in the playoff race with their third straight victory.
 
Chestnut Hill College (5-6, 3-4) traded goals with host UDC (2-7, 1-5) until early in the second quarter, when Plaia got in on the act after junior attack Tanner Fisher (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) sandwiched two goals around one by Klusaritz to forge a 3-3 tie. Plaia's initial tally, 4-3 (10:57) sparked the Griffins' game-turning stretch, which received a jolt from successive strikes by senior midfielder Christopher Mertens (Freeport, N.Y.) and freshman midfielder Gerard Lyle (Baldwin, N.Y.), whose second marker of the season made it 6-3 (8:02).
 
Klusaritz supplied the offense as the teams exchanged a pair of goals spanning halftime, setting the stage for sophomore attack Alec Dambach (Howell, N.J.) to ignite a four-goal run with consecutive tallies, 10-5 (6:39). Klusaritz assisted on the first of Dambach's goals, then dished out another helper to sophomore midfielder Justin Albarran (Freehold, N.J.), whose man-up rocket provided a 12-5 advantage late in the third quarter (0:47). The Firebirds pulled one back, but Plaia found the back of the cage unassisted and Klusaritz connected with Fisher at the midway point of the fourth quarter (7:30) as Chestnut Hill College extended its margin to 14-6. UDC closed strong, an unassisted marker from Mertens bookended by two three-goal streaks, but three unanswered goals in the final 1:35 still left the home side short, 15-12.
 
Sophomore attack Chase Fraser (Aldergrove, British Columbia) netted two of his game-high five goals in the final frame for the Firebirds, while classmate Brock Thompson-Marshall posted two goals and two assists. Junior goalkeeper Pat Payne (Catonsville, Md.) tallied seven saves in the loss.
 
Klusaritz registered three goals and four assists, the highest point and assist totals by a Griffin this season; he now leads the team in both categories. Plaia, meanwhile, ended on a three-goal, two-assist night three days removed from a five-goal outburst in a victory over Dominican College (NY). Fisher recorded his second hat-trick in three contests, and Mertens matched a career high with two markers. Sophomore defenseman Daniel DePasquale (Livingston, N.J.) manned the Chestnut Hill College back line with three caused turnovers and a trio of ground balls in front of sophomore Thomas McDermott (Holmes, Pa.), who racked up 11 saves (5-6).
 
A year ago, the Griffins finished the season on a four-game winning streak. Still needing help to return to the ECC playoffs, they'll look to repeat that feat in their conference finale, a 12:00 p.m. Senior Day face-off against Roberts Wesleyan College on Saturday, April 18.