WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – For the second time in eight days, the Drew University men's lacrosse team erased a big deficit but came up just short in the end, this time on a last-minute goal in a 12-11 loss at Penn College Saturday afternoon.
 
The Rangers (3-3) trailed 9-4 early in the third quarter, but stormed all the way back to tie the game twice in the final period, the last coming on a goal from senior Craig Wilkie that made it 11-11 with 1:43 to go. But the Wildcats (5-0) struck for the game-winner with 23 seconds left.
 
Drew also wiped out a four-goal second-half deficit last Saturday in a 12-9 loss at FDU-Florham.
 
Wilkie finished with four goals and three assists while junior Brett Spafford added three goals for the Rangers, who racked up a 66-30 shot advantage.
 
Junior Tyler McCarthy enjoyed a big defensive performance for the Rangers, posting seven ground balls and five caused turnovers, while senior Jack Tynan recorded four CTs and four GBs.
 
Junior GJ Nazziola went 14-for-27 on faceoffs and picked up seven ground balls.
 
James Cella made 20 saves to lead the Wildcats.
 
Junior Alex Higgins and Wilkie each scored in the opening three minutes to put the Rangers up 2-1. Sophomores Charlie Collins and Mike DeMayo struck less than two minutes apart later in the first quarter to tie the game at 4-4, but Penn scored the final tally of the stanza to assume a 5-4 lead after 15 minutes of play.
 
The Wildcats scored the only three goals in the second quarter and led 8-4 at the half. Drew outshot the hosts 34-13 in the first half, when Cella made 11 of his saves.
 
Penn capped a 5-0 run when it scored the first goal of the third quarter, making it 9-4. But that's when the Rangers set out on their comeback, starting with a man-up goal from Wilkie with 9:30 left in the third quarter. Spafford followed up with a goal of his own just over a minute later to make it 9-6.
 
The Wildcats answered with 2:32 on the clock before Spafford found paydirt again with 42 seconds left in the period and the Rangers trailed 10-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Spafford's second goal was the start of a 4-0 run that pulled the team even. Freshman Ian Curley followed up with a man-up tally with 9:55 showing before Wilkie and Spafford scored five minutes apart, making it 10-10 with 4:09 to go.
 
Croix Teter scored for the Wildcats with 3:42 left before Wilkie's final goal tied it up at 11-all. The Rangers had possession with less than a minute left, but a potential game-winning shot was knocked down by Cella. A defenseman came up with the loose ball and cleared it before Penn's James Thatcher won it on a fadeaway jump shot.
 
Penn momentarily won the ensuing faceoff before losing possession near midfield. A scrum for the loose ball melted all but three seconds off the clock, when the Rangers gained possession and called timeout in front of their bench. Wilkie fired off a deep shot on the restart, but it was knocked down by the defense.
 
The Rangers continue their season on Wednesday, when they visit Manhattanville College in a non-conference tilt starting at 4 p.m.