Big Green Can’t Get Over Hump in Season-Opening 15-13 Loss at Bucknell

Saturday, February 17

Lewisburg, Pa.

12:00 PM

Dartmouth College

0-1

Bucknell

1-2

DART

BUCKNELL

Photo by: Justin Lafleur

Big Green Can’t Get Over Hump in Season-Opening 15-13 Loss at Bucknell

2/17/2024 3:38:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Highlights

Nate Davis, Peter Lapina and Brandon Ventarola each had four points in the defeat

By: Justin Lafleur

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Bucknell jumped out to a 5-0 lead before the Dartmouth men's lacrosse team had a possession in its offensive zone, and despite a valiant Big Green effort, they could never pull even in a 15-13 loss on Saturday afternoon. Offensively, seniors Nate Davis and Peter Lapina posted three goals and an assist, while junior Brandon Ventarola dished a career-high four assists.

With the loss, the Big Green fall to 0-1 while the Bison improve to 1-2. Saturday's matchup was Dartmouth's season opener and the first game for Sean Kirwan as Big Green head coach. It was also the first-ever meeting between Dartmouth and Bucknell.

"I am certainly happy with the fight our team showed as the game went along," said Kirwan. "Starting a game down 5-0 is a hard thing to climb back from vs. anybody, let alone a team as talented and as well-coached as Bucknell, but our guys continued to battle for 60 minutes. The positive in this setback is that a lot of our mistakes were self-inflicted and are things that we can control and correct."

Along with the four points from Davis, Lapina and Ventarola, sophomore Emmett Paradine recorded two goals and an assist. Sophomore Cameron Brown scored twice as well, good for his second-career multi-goal game.

Defensively, sophomore Thomas Goguen posted career highs in groundballs (5) and caused turnovers (3). Junior Griffin O'Neil and sophomore Max LaTorre each had two groundballs and two caused turnovers, with O'Neil also scoring his first-career goal in the fourth quarter.

After losing five of his first six faceoffs, fifth-year Mitchell Myers won nine of his last 15 to finish 10-of-20 on the afternoon. Junior Vincent Gandolfo was also 6-of-12.

Just 4:17 into the game, the Bison led 5-0, with three of the goals scored by Will Hopkins. Dartmouth had an answer later in the quarter, beginning with Davis scoring the Big Green's first two goals of the season in the span of 15 seconds. Brown made it a 3-0 run in just 1:04, pulling Dartmouth within 5-3 at the 3:31 mark.

Two Nate Davis goals in 15 seconds has the Big Green back within three!

Watch on @ESPNPlus: https://t.co/fEQNnOKSgS #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods🌲 pic.twitter.com/gET2Dd9j2f
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) February 17, 2024

Every time the Big Green pulled closer, though, Bucknell had an answer. The Bison scored the next two to take a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter before three consecutive Dartmouth goals pulled the Big Green within one. Paradine's first of the afternoon made the score 7-6, but again, the Bison responded with a two-goal run heading into halftime.

The reigning @IvyLeague Rookie of the Year has his first goal of the season! Paradine pulled the Big Green within one after this goal. Bucknell has answered with the next two to take a 9-6 halftime lead.

Watch on @ESPNPlus: https://t.co/fEQNnOKSgS #GoBigGreen | #TheWoods🌲 pic.twitter.com/iCeXDgVNLP
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) February 17, 2024

That was the start of Bucknell scoring five-of-six goals bridging the first and second halves to open a 12-7 advantage midway through the third quarter.

The Big Green wouldn't go away, as they scored three straight and six of the next eight goals. Ethan Gyllenhaal gave Bucknell a 14-11 lead with 6:18 remaining, but O'Neil collected a turnover near midfield and went all the way for his first-career goal. Just 58 seconds later, Lapina made a nifty move and highlight-reel diving finish to get the Big Green within 14-13 with 4:50 on the clock.

"This one could be on @SportsCenter today!"

What a diving goal from Peter Lapina to pull the Big Green within one!

Watch on @ESPNPlus: https://t.co/fEQNnOKSgS #SCTop10 | @ESPNAssignDesk pic.twitter.com/kYIpfRRdNg
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) February 17, 2024

That's as close as Dartmouth would come, however, as Bucknell's Connor Davis scored in the final seconds of the shot clock to give the Bison a 15-13 lead with 1:19 remaining, which proved to be the final.

For the game, Bucknell held a 44-32 edge in shots. The Bison finished with a 38-32 advantage in groundballs. Junior goaltender Mason Morel entered in the second quarter and made six saves, while Bucknell's Max Nolan made eight in 48:31 of action.

Dartmouth returns to action next Saturday, hosting Holy Cross at 1 p.m. before a neutral site matchup against Lehigh two days later at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.