Air Force Falls to Robert Morris in Non-Conference Action

Courtesy of Air Force Athletics

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – In its final non-conference game of the season, the Air Force lacrosse team fell to Robert Morris, 13-7, Saturday afternoon at Joe Walton Stadium. The Falcons drop to 1-7 on the season, while the Colonials improve to 7-2 overall.

Robert Morris, the highest-scoring team in the nation at over 16 goals per game, got off to a quick start, scoring just over a minute into the contest. However, neither team found the back of the net again until Air Force junior Vinny Sandtorv (Centereach, N.Y.) tallied a goal at the 3:22 mark in the period with an assist from Ridge Flick (Sr., Plano, Texas). The Colonials came right back, scoring a pair of goals in less than a minute to regain the advantage. Sandtorv notched another goal in the period, but Robert Morris scored with less than two seconds on the clock to take a 4-2 lead into the second quarter.

The first goal of the second period came at the 8:35 mark when Ben Cullen (Fr., Collierville, Tenn.) tallied a score on an assist by Zack Carroll (Jr., Freehold Township, N.J.) to bring the Falcons back within a single goal. However, the Colonials scored two unanswered goals in the period, going into the break with a 6-3 advantage.

After winning the opening face-off in the third period, Carroll brought Air Force back within two points with his first goal of the game. Robert Morris once again extended its advantage, scoring a pair of goals before Adam Paranka (So., Denver, Colo.) got on the board with 5:57 remaining in the period. It would be the last score of the third quarter, as the Falcons went into the final stanza down by three.

Carroll opened the fourth quarter with an early goal to cut Air Force’s deficit to 8-6. However, the Colonials began to pull away, scoring four unanswered goals within a span of three minutes. While Flick added another score with 4:59 left on the clock, Robert Morris scored on the ensuing face-off, as the contest ended with the 13-7 tally.

Sandtorv and Carroll each scored two goals and an assist to lead the Falcons’ offense, while goalkeeper Brian Wilson (Jr., Summit, N.J.) tallied 11 saves between the pipes. In addition, junior long-stick midfielder Bryan Gilbreath (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) picked up five ground balls and recorded a game-high three caused turnovers.

The Falcons return home on Friday, April 9, as they host Quinnipiac in a conference match-up. The game is slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. at Cadet Lacrosse Stadium.