Purchase, NY (April 18, 2017) – Energized by a memorable Senior Night, the Purchase College men's lacrosse team put together a fairytale ending, honoring the team's soon-to-be five graduates in the first-ever program victory.  

With the seniors playing such a large role in the program's transition, moving from a competitive club sport last year to a full-fledged varsity program this spring, the motivated Panthers came out clicking on all cylinders in support of the elder statesman en route to a 14-8 win against the visiting College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Prior to the start, Purchase Sports Information Director Bobby Ciafardini MCed a brief Senior Night ceremony that included friends, family and loved ones at midfield. Panther head coach Michael Bocklet, Jr. penned some words for each of the seniors, which Ciafardini delivered to the crowd.

Keefe Martin (SR/Brooklyn, NY), Ian Oglesby (SR/Ellenville, NY), Brandon Lalli (JR/Pound Ridge, NY), Simon Lai (SR/Garrison, NY) and Giovanni Spadaro (SR/Melville, NY) were introduced one-by-one. The five were presented with club jerseys from last season as keepsakes. They also received certificates from the SID office. Their parents were presented with flowers.

In addition, each of the five seniors will be honored during the program's annual awards banquet on April 27 at the Performing Arts Center (6-9 PM), where senior parents are invited to attend.

"Keefe brought a strong defensive presence to the team," Bocklet said in his written speech. "He has a natural ability to mark his man and prevent the other team from scoring. A vocal leader, Keefe quickly became one of the backbones of the defense.

"A true founding father, Ian was a member of the original club team at Purchase. Also a member of the golf team, Ian's athletic ability allowed him to excel on both surfaces. On the lacrosse field, Ian's speed is hard to match step for step making him a dodging force.

"Tall and strong, Brandon's ability to quickly get up and down the field make him a dual threat on offense and defense. Capable of hitting long range shots, Brandon has the ability to put pressure on any defense.

"Simon is a righty sharp shooter with a natural ability to find the back of the net. Simon can shoot from anywhere on the field making him a goalie's worst nightmare. On the field, Simon is the vocal leader on offense and has the ability to beat the defense with both his shooting and dodging.

"The work horse of the team, there is no position on the field that Gio cannot play. Gio is the type of player that will give you 100 percent effort every single day. His mental and physical toughness is unmatched. Gio leads by example and is a tremendous teammate both on and off the field."

Martin, who is in the music conservatory, then performed a beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner on his trumpet – something he has done on several big occasions for the program.

Fueled by the good vibes of the ceremony, Purchase came out firing. The Panthers reeled off six straight goals and took a commanding 6-0 lead.

Dylan Gethicker (JR/Lime Lake, NY) scored the game's first goal less than one minute in. Lai followed with back-to-back goals. James Felix (SO/Scarsdale, NY) then got in on the act, making it 4-0.

Gethicker, who assisted on the second Lai score, handed another out – this time to Daniel Desaulniers (FR/Watertown, NY). Desaulniers, like Lai, would go back-to-back for the 6-0 advantage.

The Dolphins scored the final two goals of the period and trailed 6-2 heading into the second.

But Felix and Lalli countered with two goals. It was the first of the season for Lalli. The pair made it 8-2 in favor of the hosts.

CMSV's David Collins scored to trim it to 8-3, but Felix netted his 11th of the season before Tyler Porter did the same for the visitors to make it 9-4 early in the third.

The Panthers, which led 9-3 at halftime, held an 11-5 lead heading into the fourth.

Although the Dolphins made it interesting, Gethicker took over the game on the faceoff. He scored two of the team's final three goals, including two after the Dolphins had scored. The first came after CMSV cut it to 11-6 and the second came after it was 12-8 – the closest margin of the evening since it was 6-2 in the first period.

For good measure, Lalli added his second goal of the night to cap it at 14-8.
 
When the horn sounded, the Panther bench rushed the field and tackled keeper Michael Fruhling (FR/Bedford, NY). He finished with 15 saves.

Bocklet started all five seniors, but the entire roster including Bryan Ventura (JR/Bedford Hills, NY), Alex Krug (SO/Pine Bush, NY), Johan Morales (JR/Southampton, NY), Justus Lacey (JR/Syracuse, NY), Ari Zizzo (JR/Manhattan, NY), Isaac Aguero (SO/Bronx, NY), Dylan Ciolfi (FR/Bronx, NY), Justice Smith (JR/Manhattan, NY), Connor Boyle (SO/Croton-on-Hudson, NY) and Iwan Treager-Payne (FR/Boiceville, NY) played a role in the game, whether on the field or cheering from the sidelines.

Desaulniers, Gethicker and Felix netted hat tricks with three goals apiece. Lai and Lalli added two goals each, while Aguero had one.

The Dolphins were led by Michael Puchalski and his three goals. He now has 28 on the season. Ken Brown-Oda (2), Collins, Porter and Brian Sullivan had the other goals.

Upon completion of the renovated atrium for the Purchase athletic department, the new trophy case will proudly display the game ball from tonight's win as well as the game ball from the program's first-ever home game earlier this spring.