PURCHASE, N.Y. (April 24, 2019) – Junior John Belanger and freshman Zane Johnston combined for six goals as the FDU-Florham men's lacrosse team picked up a crucial 13-9 triumph over Manhattanville College Wednesday evening.

FDU moves to 7-6 on the season, including a 3-3 mark within the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom. Manhattanville falls to 7-7, 2-4 in the conference.

The game didn't start out well in the Devils favor, as the Valiants scored three first-quarter goals within the first 9:26 of the game. Belanger stopped the run with 7:56 remaining in the period, converting a John Guido pass. Junior Adam Reifer made two stops to keep Manhattanville off the board, and off the second save, junior Pat Stewart tallied his first marker of the game.

Starting with a man-up in the second quarter, the Devils needed just 17 seconds to tie the game at three. Belanger linked up with senior Michael Warg, who potted his team-leading 11th man-up goal of the season. The Devils would score four times in the frame, as Johnston scored twice with Warg adding his second of the night. FDU was aided by Reifer, who made three stops in the frame to help the team take control.

The lead swelled to four nearly four minutes into the third, as Johnston fed Belanger for his second tally of the game.  Two minutes later, the Valiants Nick Delia capitalized with the man-advantage to trim the gap to four. Delia completed the natural hat trick, including two tallies within a 1:04 span to bring the Devils lead down to just a goal. 

Freshman MacGyver Hay won an important faceoff and 40 seconds after the Delia tally, Johnston stopped the run with his third goal of the night. That goal was the turning point, as the Devils reeled off the next five goals bridging the third and fourth stanzas. Stewart closed out the Devils scoring courtesy off a Hay assist, before Manhattanville netted the final tally of the game with just 54 seconds left on the clock.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
•    Reifer made 15 saves in the victory, his ninth game with at least 10 saves this season.
•    Belanger scored four times and added an assist while firing a team-high seven shots. The junior leads the team with 34 goals this season.
•    Johnston matched his career-high three goals and six points.
•    Hay led the Devils with five caused turnovers and five ground balls, while also winning a career-best eight faceoffs.
 
UP NEXT
The Devils close out the regular season with a 1 p.m. contest against Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Saturday.