ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Junior midfielder Jordon Deats scored the winning goal with 1:11 remaining in the fourth quarter as the Roberts Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team defeated Molloy University 13-12 in an East Coast Conference game on Saturday.
Deats took a feed from Dan Doviak from about 15 yards out and ripped a shot home for his third goal of the day as the Redhawks (8-3, 3-1 ECC) scored the final two goals of the game to secure the victory. Deats' goal came just three seconds after a penalty to Molloy expired.'
"Our man-up unit has worked together all season and every guy out there is selfless," Deats said. "I was just in the right place at the right time and I let it go."
Graduate student Reid Jackowski led Roberts with four goals and Deats and Doviak each added three goals and two assists. Sophomore Jacob Zimmerman finished with a goal and an assist and came up with a big turnover in the closing seconds that allowed Roberts to run out the clock.
"You need your big guys to come through and our big guys came through today," said Roberts coach Rocky Delfino. "Some of our middies really stepped up for us."
Freshmen Justin Skelly and Curtis Denison also scored for Roberts.
Freshman Isaac Marrero led Roberts with eight ground balls and junior Luke Delavak caused four turnovers. Sophomore Andy Davis made four saves.
The victory allowed the Redhawks to avenge a 9-8 double-overtime loss to Molloy in last year's regular-season finale. It also came at the end of an emotional week following the passing of Amy Bossard, the mother of Redhawks defender Parker Bossard.
"This game means a lot for a couple of different reasons," said Deats, who wrote the No. 8 on a piece of tape and affixed it to his helmet to honor the Bossard family. "We dropped this one to them last year and it's something that we have been thinking about for a full year. We just want to do everything that we can to put ourselves in the best position to win an ECC Championship."
Roberts will host D'Youville in its home finale at 5 p.m. on April 19.