WILKES-BARRE, PA (April 27, 2019) -- Junior attack Jared Gambino posted a career-high with four goals Saturday afternoon, helping the King's College men's lacrosse team celebrate Senior Day with a 12-7 Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) victory in the 2019 season finale from McCarthy Stadium. 

Prior to the contest, King's (4-11, 2-5 MAC Freedom) said good-bye to 12 student-athletes for their dedication to the program, and then honored those players with one of the best performances of the season. The difference in the game was the time of possession edge that sophomore Trevor Douenias provided at the face-off X, as he won 15-of-23 draws Saturday. 

That would help King's dictate the pace on the day, which started fast for the Monarchs as senior Brian Steiger scored his 15th goal of the season just 40 seconds into the game to put the Monarchs on top. The goal gave Steiger 100 points for his career, the first of two King's players to earn that milestone on Saturday. 

Less than a minute later, Steiger tallied again at 13:29 of the first quarter to give King's a 2-0 lead, but Manhattanville (7-8, 2-5 MAC Freedom) tallied back with two goals to tie the game at a pair apiece after a goal from Nick Delia with just over eight minutes to go in the opening period. 

King's would regain its edge with 4:41 on the clock, as sophomore Charlie Alessi rolled the crease and scored an unassisted tally. The two teams exchanged goals just before the break to send the game into the second 15 minutes with King's up 4-3.

The run would continue for King's into the second period, tallying three goals including two from Gambino to take a 7-3 lead before heading into the locker room for halftime up three at 7-4.  

The pace of the game would slow down in the third quarter, as Manhattanville pulled to within two at 8-6 following a goal from Harrison Yoguez with just over two minutes to go in the period. The Valiants continued their spurt into the fourth, as Matt Labash trimmed the King's lead to just one with 13:14 to go. 

The Monarchs wouldn't panic though, as Gambino scored his fourth and final goal of the game with 11:13 to regain King's two-goal edge. Alec Martin would score three minutes later at 8:18 unassisted, before Michael O'Brien finished a great feed from Brett O'Neill to put King's back up four at 11-7. 

The assist for O'Neill game him 100 points for his career, an amazing accomplishment for a player that played in just three games during his senior season in 2019. Thanks to strong defensive play and goalkeeping, King's maintained the four-goal lead until senior Ryan Matusiewicz put a bow on the win with a sensational unassisted goal, beating the keeper while falling to the ground to finish the game's scoring. 

Gambino posted five ground balls and an assist in addition to his career-high goal total, while sophomore Gabe Vansuch finished the season with two goals and a team-high 28 goals in 2019. Vansuch scored at least one goal in every game as a sophomore. 

Steiger finished his career with two goals and two ground balls in the win, while Alessi added a goal and an assist. Defender Sam Moyer was strong once again with two caused turnovers, four ground balls and an assist, and Douenias led all players with 13 ground balls. 

In addition to his goal in the waning minutes, Matusiewicz registered an assist, five ground balls and one forced turnover. Long-stick midfielder Chris Surina also finished with four ground balls, and senior goalkeeper Matt Basile made 13 saves while securing three loose balls. 

King' held a slight 44-43 shot edge on the day, while winning the ground ball battle, 41-31. King's also forced Manhattanville into 13 turnovers on 27 clear attempts. WIl Duval set up five goals for the Valiants, and Labash and Delia each finished with two goals apiece in the loss.