SCRANTON, Pa. (April 19, 2017) – Freshman midfielder Kyle MacDonnell scored five goals, including three during a seven-goal run in the second half to push the Drew University men's lacrosse team to a 12-4 victory at The University of Scranton on Wednesday evening.
 
By the Numbers: The Rangers move to 6-6 overall and 2-2 in the Landmark, which helps Drew leapfrog Scranton in the standings into third place with two league games to play. The Royals fall into fourth place with a 2-3 Landmark record while dropping to 6-6 overall.
 
Top Performers
• MacDonnell's early career defining game started just three minutes into the contest, when he ripped the cord to put Drew up 1-0. He scored the second goal eight minutes later, and notched goals three, four and five in the second half spanning seven minutes to help Drew run away with the Landmark win. He added five groundballs, a caused turnover and won 3-of-4 faceoffs to cap a well-rounded day.
• Junior faceoff specialist Joe Palmieri not only excelled at the X by winning 8-of-16 against the No. 5 ranked faceoff specialist in the nation, he also added two assists on the attack.
• Sophomore midfielder Thomas Garner notched a career high with a pair of goals, his first two of the season.
• Senior goalkeeper Teddy Sweeney continues to lead the country in save percentage with another standout performance between the pipes. He stopped 11 shots while allowing four goals for a .733 save percentage, which will raise his NCAA Division III leading mark.
 
The Difference: The Rangers led 4-3 at halftime, and wasted little time in taking control of the second half. The Rangers outscored Scranton 3-0 in the third quarter on goals by Garner, senior defender Ryan Clay and MacDonnell. Drew stretched the scoring run to seven straight by scoring the first four tallies of the fourth quarter to lead 11-3 with 9:42 to play.
 
Highlights
• Garner's first goal was an unassisted blast in the second period to give Drew a 3-2 lead, an advantage they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Senior defender Michael Lloyd converted a man-up goal 1:30 later for the 4-2 lead with 8:03 remaining the opening half.
• MacDonnell scored his third and fourth goals spanning the break between quarters in the second half, each of which was assisted following sharp ball movement. Sophomore attacker Ryan D'Alessandro and Palmieri picked up the helpers on those tallies.
• Senior midfielder Tom Cotroneo assisted then scored on back-to-back goals in the fourth as Drew built its big lead down the stretch.
• Senior defender Frank Kingston and junior attacker Devin Lyons joined the party late in the fourth with each scoring their third goals of the season.
 
Stat Sheet
• Scranton slightly outshot Drew, 31-29, but were less accurate with the Rangers leading in shots on goal, 19-15.
• The Rangers were 12-of-13 on clears and generally took good care of the ball with just 13 turnovers.
• Drew held the lead in groundballs (36-29), faceoffs (11-9), while killing off both of its penalties.
 
Up Next: The Rangers remain on the road for the first of their final two games at Goucher College on Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m.