THE BASICS:
 
- Score: Colby College 12, MIT 10
 
- Records: MIT (8-3); Colby (2-6)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Jack Barry Field)
 
- The Lead: Back-to-back goals by Ryan Darby late in the third quarter gave Colby College enough of a cushion as it went on to defeat MIT, 12-10, in a non-conference men's lacrosse game on Wednesday night. Graduate student Ryan Gebhardt (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) tallied six goals and one assist for the Engineers while Bennett Goller powered the Mules with one goal and four assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- MIT opened the game with goals by Gebhardt and senior Teddy Corcoran (Harrison, N.Y.), however, strikes by Darby, Alex Reitman, and Henry Popko put Colby in front midway through the quarter. The Engineers replied with back-to-back goals from Gebhardt to take a 4-3 edge.
 
- Reitman redirected a feed from Jake Surrette to tie the game just over three minutes into the second quarter. Almost 30 seconds later, Gebhardt connected on a pass from Corcoran, resulting in a 5-4 lead. A defensive battle ensued until Popko and Ben Reynolds found the back of the net during the last 4:32 of the frame.
 
- Sophomore Nick Stiles (New Canaan, Conn.) evened the game at six when he connected on a pass from Corcoran at the 11:46 mark of the third quarter. The score remained unchanged until Popko completed the hat trick with 6:06 on the clock. Exactly 35 seconds later, junior Bennett Stankovits (Rumson, N.J.) knotted the game at seven courtesy of a feed from senior Tory Lentine (Flemington, N.J.). Colby countered with Darby's two pivotal goals, both of which were set up by Goller.
 
- A solo effort by Gebhardt narrowed the gap to 9-8 after a minute elapsed in the fourth quarter. Max Solmssen's goal less than two minutes later created some breathing room and then a goal by Goller moved the score to 11-8 with 5:14 remaining. Gebhardt ended MIT's scoring drought when he connected on a pass from first year Garrett Campagna (Lancaster, Pa.) at the 3:43 mark, however, Jack Goller produced the Mules' final goal of the night in a span of 37 seconds. The Engineers capped the scoring when first year Bryce Metalios (Riverside, Conn.) redirected a feed from Gebhardt with four seconds left.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Corcoran finished with one goal and two assists as Lentine dished out two assists. Sophomore Matthew Sardis (Bernardsville, N.J.) won 20 of his 24 faceoff attempts and collected 16 groundballs while junior Luke Chapman (Houston, Texas) posted three caused turnovers and two groundballs.
 
- In net, senior Devin McCabe (New Castle, N.H.) made seven saves in the first half as senior David Vapnek (San Diego, Calif.) turned away three shots in the second half.
 
- Popko and Darby both had hat tricks while Davis Strabley notched four groundballs and an assist. Goalie Will Rickards racked up 19 saves and five groundballs.
 
- This was the first game between both programs since 2008 and the third overall. MIT won the first match up in 1997 while Colby won the previous meeting.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- Both teams host conference opponents on Saturday, April 8 at 1:00 p.m. MIT will play NEWMAC rival Wheaton College while Colby will take on No. 7 Amherst College in a NESCAC match up.
 
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