Box Score

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Junior attack Alex MacDiarmid (New Hartford, NY/New Hartford) scored the game-tying goal late in the fourth quarter and then tallied the game-winner in overtime to lead the Rensselaer men’s lacrosse team to an 8-7 win over Wittenberg in a non-league game. RPI improves to 2-0 while the Tigers fall to 0-1.

MacDiarmid finished with a game-high four goals, including the game-tying marker with approximately five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He ended the game with just 2:23 remaining in overtime when he collected his own rebound and tallied from just outside the goal.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first quarter, Rensselaer scored the next four goals for a 4-1 lead after the first quarter. Wittenberg pulled to within 4-3 before RPI scored again to lead 5-3 at halftime. The Tigers scored the first three goals of the second half for a 6-5 lead and the two teams traded goals until MacDiarmid’s back-to-back scores.

Junior Briggs Thompson (South Lyme, CT/South Lyme) added two goals and classmate Mike Sampson (Columbus, OH/Upper Arlington) a goal and an assist for Rensselaer. Sophomore Josh Secora (Evergreen, CO/Golden) scored once for the Red Hawks, who got four saves from senior starter Ryan Michels (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine) and five from junior John Thibdeau (Altamont, NY/Bethlehem). Thibdeau, who allowed three goals, earned the win.

For Wittenberg, freshman Brian Welton (Germantown, TN/Houston) scored three goals, freshman Jeff Capella (Columbus, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) added a goal and two assists, and junior John Van Vranken (North Canton, OH/Hoover) had a goal and an assist. Two others had a single goals. Senior goalie Pat Garlock (Columbus, OH/St. Charles) made eight saves.

SCORING BY QUARTERS: 
Rensselaer: 4-1-1-1-1 – 8 
Wittenberg: 1-2-3-1-0 – 7 

SHOTS:
Rensselaer: 41
Wittenberg: 21

GROUND BALLS:
Rensselaer: 27
Wittenberg: 33

RENSSELAER SCORING: MacDiarmid (4 goals, 0 assists), Thompson (2-0), Sampson (1-1), Secora (1-0), Ryan Bigham (0-1), Bryant Johnson (0-1).

RENSSELAER GOALTENDING: Michels (4 goals allowed, 4 saves, 18:01), Thibdeau (3 goals allowed, 4 saves).

WITTENBERG SCORING: Welton (3-0), Capella (1-2), Van Vranken (1-1), Morrison (1-0), Gates (1-0), Hulett (0-1).

WITTENBERG GOALTENDING: Garlock (8 goals allowed, 8 saves)