For Immediate Release April 3, 1999
Virginia Wesleyan Hands RC 17-9 Loss
Maroons Can't Hold 5-2 First Period Lead
SALEM, Va.--The Roanoke College men’s lacrosse team fell to the Virginia Wesleyan Marlin today, 17-9, in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference matchup on Alumni Field. The Maroons, who suffer their first ever loss to VWC, fall to 3-6 on the season, 2-2 in league play. The Marlin go to 7-1 this year and 3-1 against conference competition. In the first period it looked as if the Maroons would control the game after outscoring the Marlin, 5-2. The Maroons got two consecutive goals from Jim Cappellett (Little River, SC/Vestal) to open the game. The two teams traded the next three goals, with Gregg Fasanaro (Stony Brook, NY/Ward Melville) scoring for Roanoke, before consecutive goals from Bobby Vallario (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater) and Jeb Burrows (Wayne, PA/Haverford School) made the score 5-2 in favor of the Maroons after one.
It was all down hill for Roanoke from there on out, however. The team managed to score just four more times in the remaining three periods, while it saw the Marlin put 15 on the board. VWC beat the Roanoke goaltender six times in the second period, while Burrows added his second of the game for the only Roanoke tally in the frame.
It appeared the Marlin would take a 12-6 lead into the fourth period, after scoring four times in the third, but Fasanaro’s second of the game came as the horn sounded, signifying the end of the quarter. Brian Fleming (Summit, NJ/Summit) cut the lead to just four goals, 12-8, with an extra-man goal just 49 seconds into the fourth. The Marlin responded with two more goals before Fleming scored his second man-up goal of the period, with 8:10 to go. Virginia Wesleyan closed out the game on a 3-0 run, making the score 17-9 at the final buzzer.
The loss was the first ever Roanoke has suffered at the hands of the Marlins, having won the previous nine meetings. The 17 goals were the most the Maroons have allowed this season, and most since a 17-11 loss to Ohio Wesleyan in 1996. The last time an ODAC school scored at least 17 goals against Roanoke was in 1987 when Washington & Lee won a meeting with the Maroons, 19-11, in the NCAA tournament. The 17 goals allowed by RC today are the most ever by an ODAC team during the regular season.
Roanoke will next be in action on Wednesday in a home contest with arch-rival Hampden-Sydney at 4:00 pm on Alumni Field.
Virginia Wesleyan (7-1, 3-1) 2 6 4 5- 17
Roanoke (3-6, 2-2) 5 1 1 2- 9Goals: VWC - Fox 6, Spiers 5, Hamilton 3, Kelly 2, B. Lingo. RC - Fasanaro 2, Cappellett 2, Burrows 2, Fleming 2, Vallario.
Assists: VWC - Scully 3, Kelly. RC - Adam 2, Fasanaro, Taylor, Jones.
Saves: VWC - Clark 24. Roanoke - Kaplow 6, DeVoe 6.
Shots: VWC 39, RC 48
Groundballs: VWC 21, RC 30
Face-Offs: VWC 10, RC 19