The SCAD Men's Lacrosse Team played conference rival Florida Gulf Coast University at the SCAD Athletic Complex this evening and came away with an 8-7 victory.  The win moves the Bees to 2-0 in conference play and 4-0 overall in the 2014 season.
 
Once again SCAD had a tough time with a tough opponent.  The Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast came to Savannah after having won 3 scrimmages against Florida Atlantic, Duke, and Florida International.  In those 3 scrimmages, which do not count on their record, the Eagles scored 47 goals while allowing only 8.  The Bees knew that it was going to be a fiercely fought contest.  And their expectation was correct in that if statistics were the determinate as to whether a team wins or loses, then SCAD should have lost the game.
 
The Bees were outshot 33-28, spent most of their time defending against an aggressive adversary on their own side of the field, lost 10 of 14 faceoffs, and had to have 9 saves in order to stay in the match.  But not only did the Bees stay in the match, they were a constant pain in the Eagles' neck by forcing 6 turnovers and keeping the match even at 2-2 after the first two periods.  After three periods Florida Gulf Coast held a 5-4 advantage and the fans were on the edges to their seats to see if the Bees had it in them to bring about a momentum change.
 
It all came down to the 4th quarter.  At the 13:10 mark the Bees' Cody Sienkiewicz gave SCAD what they so desperately needed.  He scored an unassisted goal to tie the match at 5 all.  Then just 58 seconds later Sienkiewicz scored another unassisted goal to give SCAD its first lead of the evening at 6-5.  The lead lasted nearly 2 minutes when the Eagles charged back to tie it at 6 apiece.  With 9 minutes left to play it was anybody's game.
 
The noise factor raised to a fever pitch as SCAD's Matt Dean scored a go-ahead goal at the 8:42 mark, but the Eagles responded with a goal of their own with 7:13 left on the clock.  The fight was on as both teams found themselves playing one man down and then one man up.  Which player would rise to the occasion to give his team the victory?  That man turned out to be freshman midfielder, Tucker Hotte.  With 3:26 left on the clock he charged the Eagles' goal, spun around, and drilled one into the back of the net to give the Bees the lead at 8-7.
 
In the final three minutes of the match the Bees took time off the clock through deliberate ball control - constantly passing from one player to another.  In the last 20 seconds of the match the Eagles got control and advanced to the Bees' goal.  There was a shot on-goal that goalie Billy Brennan saved, but the ball went back to the Eagles on the deflection.  They set themselves for one last attempt, but SCAD's defense recorded its last of 6 takeaways and launched the ball down field as the clock ran out.  SCAD wins 8-7.
 
In spite of Florida Gulf Coast leading in almost all offensive and defensive categories, the Bees prevailed with what had given them victories in their three previous matches this season – tenacity, team play, and perfect timing.  They just do not give in.  Leading the scoring was Sienkiewicz and Hotte with 3 goals each, while Dean and Andrew Gualtieri had one apiece.  Another impressive player was freshman goalie Billy Brennan, who in his first start of the season had 9 saves – many of them head-to-head with his attacker. 
 
Congratulations go to the team as a whole, but there will be little rest for the Bees.  Tomorrow they go right back to the field to take on Elon University in a 3 pm match.  Come out and watch a very exciting team as they try to stay undefeated and as they press toward another conference championship.  Go Bees!!