Box Score Lafayette Hill, Pa. - (4/26/2016) – Enduring three lightning delays, two before the opening faceoff and one just past halftime, Chestnut Hill College used a 9-2 mid-game advantage to capture their fifth straight win in a 13-7 final over the University of the District of Columbia (UDC). It was also a third straight East Coast Conference (ECC) win for the Griffins, who are now 4-3 in league play. Junior attack Alec Dambach (Howell, N.J.) and sophomore attack Dylan Klusaritz (Slatington, Pa.) both finished with five-point games; Dambach totaled a team-high three goals and two assists for his fifth consecutive contest of five point or more.
 
Originally scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start, the ECC clash was pushed back to a 5:00 p.m. opening faceoff due to a system of thunderstorms in the Philadelphia area. The University of the District of Columbia (4-7, 1-6) won that draw and took the first shot of the affair, but sophomore goalkeeper Matthew Pedrick (New Milford, N.J.) made the first of 12 saves to preserve the game's innocence. Chestnut Hill College (6-6, 4-3) broke the silence soon after with junior defenseman Daniel DePasquale (Livingston, N.J.) scoring on a pass from Klusaritz at 13:49, 1-0. Dambach added the next Griffin tally at 12:14 (2-0), but UDC chimed in with their only goal of the first quarter at 10:55 (2-1) to keep the Scarlet and Gold honest. With three straight scores, Chestnut Hill College would lead by four goals at the end of the opening frame, 5-1. The Firebirds used a man-up opportunity to make the first mark of the second quarter, 5-2 (8:30), but it was to be their only goal in the period as senior attack Austin Mercardo (Temecula, Calif.) scored the next two, 7-2, before Klusaritz saw to it that the Firebirds faced a seven-goal halftime deficit with a spectacular finish on a pass from sophomore midfielder Gerard Lyle (Baldwin, N.Y.) at 2:03 (8-2) and an assist to freshman attack Casey Brown (Havre de Grace, Md.) on a man-up opportunity at 1:14 (9-2).
 
With the in-game delay coming at 13:21 of the third quarter, the Griffins and Firebirds essentially enjoyed an extended intermission. After which, the game had a different feel. The visitors outscored the Griffins 4-1 in the third frame, closing the gap to 10-6 for the fourth quarter. They narrowed it even further with a great individual effort from graduate midfielder Michael King (Kansas City, Mo.) at 12:53 (10-7), however, the Griffins regained control on a Dambach-Klusaritz connection at 10:26 (11-7) and scored two more insurance goals before letting the clock run out on a series of Firebird penalties.

King was at times a one-man show for the Firebirds. He finished with five goals, five ground balls, and a caused turnover. UDC's other two tallies were provided by junior attack Chase Fraser (Aldergrove, British Columbia), who also offered five ground balls and a faceoff victory (1-2, .500). Freshman midfielder Tyler Mace (Victoria, British Columbia) was their other standout player. He recorded two assists, four ground balls, and four caused turnovers. In goal, graduate Pat Payne (Catonsville, Md.) took the loss (3-7) despite making 12 saves and collecting three ground balls.
 
Dambach added three ground balls and a caused turnover to his five points (3 goals and 2 assists). Meanwhile, Klusaritz hustled to two ground balls in addition his five points (2 goals and 3 assists). Junior midfielder Andrew Dooley (Monroe Township, N.J.), DePasquale, and Mercado all recorded two goals while senior George Markey (Branchburg, N.J.) and Brown provided the two remaining scores. DePasquale headlined a tremendous effort from the Griffin defense. He totaled two goals, five ground balls, and three caused turnovers while his backfield partners senior Derick Darnulc (Baldwin, N.Y.) and junior Mark Pascetta (Milmont Park, Pa.) split six ground balls and six caused turnovers. Also of note was the play of sophomore midfielder Joshua Pope (Schnecksville, Pa.) who offered two assists, three ground balls, and two caused turnovers. In his third win (3-0) of the season, Pedrick added two ground ball recoveries to his dozen saves.   
 
The Griffins concluded their 2016 season this Saturday, April 30, when they host the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) for a 12:00 p.m. Senior Day celebration.