Box Score Melbourne, Fla. – (3/7/2017) – Chestnut Hill College deposited the last goal of the first quarter and the first three of the second quarter to hold a 6-4 advantage over the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) at halftime of today's contest. In the second half, the home side held an 8-5 upper hand, scoring the game-winning-goal on a man-up opportunity with 2:20 remaining. Senior attack Tanner Fisher (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) headlined the Scarlet and Gold effort and matched his career single-game scoring mark with five goals.
 
FIT (2-4) netted the game's first two goals, 2-0, but Chestnut Hill College (1-2) evened the playing field before the eight-minute mark of the opening quarter with strikes from Fisher and senior midfielder Justin Albarran (Freehold, N.J.) respectively coming at 8:47 and 8:06, 2-2. A third Panther goal at 4:51 appeared to ensure the home team the lead, 3-2, heading to the second quarter, but with 15 seconds (0:15) remaining before the first-quarter break Fisher evened the spread, 3-3, off a feed from freshman midfielder Carson Rees (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia).
 
The second quarter was nearly all Scarlet and Gold as momentum quickly precipitated another Fisher tally at 14:32, 4-3, and cleared Chestnut Hill College for a 6-3 advantage on a connection between Albarran and junior attack Dylan Klusaritz (Slatington, Pa.) at 8:15. Unfortunately, FIT was able to recover a goal, 6-4, just a minute later (7:09).
 
The Panthers then closed the margin to a single goal, 6-5, early in the third quarter (13:22), leaving the first collegiate goal from senior midfielder Devan Martinez (Binghamton, N.Y.) to stall before a pair of unassisted goals from sophomore midfielder Logan Sweeney (Sykesville, Md.) knotted the game at 7-7 with 11:13 remaining in the frame. Fortunately, Fisher and Rees hooked up a second time at 2:28 – this time on a man-up opportunity - to give Chestnut Hill College the edge, 8-7, heading to the fourth quarter.
 
There, Rees' first goal of the game put the Griffins up 9-7 (14:00), before the Panthers made their move. The home team scored four goals in a row, first converting on the man-up at 13:32, 9-8, and then recording three unassisted strikes en route to an 11-9 (9:44) advantage. Again, Rees and Fisher answered the bell for Chestnut Hill College once more, respectively scoring at 7:20 and 4:50 to even the affair at 11-11. A late penalty appeared to give the Griffins an opportunity, but the Panthers overcame instead with a short-handed score at 2:20, 12-11.
Sweeney and senior midfielder Cody Martin (Middletown, Md.) scored three goals apiece to lead the Panther offense. In goal, junior Daniel Flock (Ellicott City, Md.) (2-4) made 13 saves and recovered three ground balls.
 
Fisher added a ground ball to his five goals. Rees did the same in addition to his four points (two goals and two assists). Klusaritz also finished with four points; he provided three assists and two ground balls in excess of his second-quarter goal. Senior goalkeeper Thomas McDermott (Ridley, Pa.) (1-2) made 10 saves, recovered six ground balls, and forced a turnover.
 
The Chestnut Hill College men's lacrosse returns north to open their East Coast Conference (ECC) schedule on Saturday, March 11, with an 11:00 a.m. contest at #16 LIU Post.