Pat Bonnot
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Pat Bonnot scored twice with one assist but host Utica College rallied for a 9-8 overtime win

Utica Rallies Past Monarch Laxers in Overtime, 9-8

3/24/2012 5:03:00 PM

MARCH 24, 2012

UTICA RALLIES PAST MONARCH LAXERS, 9-8 IN OT

UTICA, NY -- The host Utica College men's lacrosse team rallied from a 8-4 deficit with four fourth quarter goals, then the game winner in overtime to post a 9-8 comeback victory over visiting King's College Saturday in Utica.

With the win, Utica improved to 5-2 while the Monarchs slipped to 2-5.

Utica took a 2-0 lead when T.J. Benson scored just 0:41 into the match. The Monarchs responded when Pat Bonnot struck net at 7:22, igniting a four-goal King's surge. Bonnot then assisted on the Monarchs' next goal by Billy McCollough at 3:16 to put King's on too 2-1 before Lenny Fox added to the King's lead with an unassisted tally at 2:17. The Monarchs closed out the first quarter when Mike O'Brien found the back of the net off an assist by A.J. Bungert with just 0:33 on the clock as King's took a 4-1 advantage into the second quarter.

Tim Fulton scored off a Kevin Sweeney assist at 7:18 before Bonnot struck again with his second goal with 4:04 on the clock as the Monarchs took a 6-3 lead into the third quarter.

After both teams failed to score for nearly 11 minutes in the third quarter, the Monarchs upped their lead to 7-3 when Jason Merola scored unassisted at the 3:49 mark. Utica scored what proved to be a critical goal with just 0:13 left in the period when Mick Krajacic converted a pass from Trent Thomas to bring the score to 7-4 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Utica comeback continued when Scott Baron and Joe Schoen scored back-to-back goals to trim the King's lead to 7-6 with 8:13 to play. King's, however, answered when Fox scored with just 2:01 to go as the Monarchs pushed the lead to 8-6.

Utica, however, scored at the 1:04 mark on an unassisted goal by Justin Edelstein before Baron sent the game to overtime on a goal with just 0:17 remaining.

In the first extra session, Utica completed its comeback when Edelstein scored the game winner at 3:09 off a Schoen assist to seal the victory.

Utica outshot King's 31-28 while the Monarchs held a 29-28 lead in ground balls. Bonnot led the Monarchs with two goals and one assist while Fox also added a pair of goals. Merola, O'Brien, Fulton, and McCullough scored one goal apiece. Brendan McCrudden had a team-high eight ground balls while McCullough added four ground balls and won 10 faceoffs.

The Monarchs return to action Wednesday with a 4:00 p.m. home matchup against Immaculata University at McCarthy Stadium.
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