PURCHASE, N.Y. – FDU-Florham men's lacrosse senior
Dan Decker broke the program's All-Time Career ground balls record during the Devils' 13-12 conference win over Manhattanville on Tuesday afternoon.
Decker picked up 11 ground balls in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom victory which moved him to the top of the program's record book with a career total of 298.
The huge win pushed the Devils to 7-8 on the season and 3-3 in the MAC Freedom as the Valiants fell to 6-7 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
With the game tied 12-12 and just nine seconds remaining in the contest, FDU-Florham took a timeout after a successful clear.
It only took senior
Dalton Rimmer three seconds after the restart to fire in the game-winning tally with just six seconds left on the clock to keep the Devils' dreams of a playoff run alive.
The Devils set the tone in the first half, coming out with a 6-3 lead. Rimmer kicked off the third quarter with a goal off an assist from junior
David Stewart to widen the gap at 7-3.
Still, Manhattanville fought back and found a way to tie up the game, 9-9, going in to the thrilling fourth quarter.
The Valiants struck just a minute into the fourth with a goal from Ed Motherway. However, freshman
Alec Orazietti answered back 55 seconds later on a goal off a Rimmer feed.
Still, Manhattanville converted twice more and grabbed a 12-10 lead over the Devils with just 3:14 remaining in the game.
The Devils remained resilient though, and Stewart sniped in a mark just 38 seconds after the Valiants off a pass from Rimmer.
Decker won the ground ball off the face off to give FDU-Florham the possession and Rimmer picked up a ground ball to keep up the offensive threat.
With 1:56 left in the game and down by a goal, Orazietti scored his 41
st goal of the season on a feed from senior
Matt Melnik to tie things at 12 each before Rimmer's heroics with six seconds on the clock put the Devils ahead for good.
The freshmen duo of
John Belanger and Orazietti scored three goals each and Rimmer added two goals, two assists and five ground balls.
Melnik, sophomore
Michael Warg, Stewart, freshman
Pat Stewart and junior
Will Kenny each contributed a goal in the win and Kenny finished the night with 15 ground balls, winning 21 of 22 face offs.
In net, sophomore
Tom Tornetto and freshman
Adam Reifer made a combined 10 saves for the Devils.
FDU-Florham closes out their regular season on Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m. against Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.