Exeter 10  Navy Prep 14
This was a great lacrosse game between two teams that played with great intensity and skill. Although Exeter suffered their first loss of the 2002 season, it was against an all post-graduate squad that consisted of several future DI players going to the Naval Academy next year. Exeter played almost flawless lacrosse in the first half by controlling faceoffs thanks to Wyatt Golding, showing patience on offense, and playing great defense when the Navy went on attack. Exeter took a 1-0 lead in the 1st quarter on the first of Gavin Nurick's three goals on the day off an Alan Eberstein feed. After Navy tied the game early in the 2nd quarter, Peter Monroe fired in two great shots to put Exeter ahead 3-1. A Navy goal narrowed the margin to one, but Exeter came right back with Nurick's second goal of the game to send the Big Red into the locker room with a 4-2 halftime lead. Meanwhile, the defense of Matt Perdoni, Seth Coburn, Ben Gage, Gabe Wood, and short stick defenders James Sheehan and Wyatt Golding were executing the defensive game plan to perfection. Goalie Jeff Miller made some great saves, and it was the best overall half of lacrosse against a formidable opponent that an Exeter team has played in quite some time. The second half started with a Navy goal early on, but Exeter responded with a Wyatt Golding solo effort, and a gorgeous feed by Ryan Voccola to Casey D'Annolfo to put Exeter ahead 6-3 midway through the 3rd quarter. A bad turnover by Exeter started a momentum shift that unfortunately changed the entire nature of the contest. Navy's potent offense, one that had scored 17 goals in a big win against powerhouse Bridgton Academy earlier in the season, started clicking. To make matters worse, navy had finally found a faceoff man in its long stick corps that could match up against the previously unstoppable Wyatt Golding. Despite a timeout to try and stop momentum, Navy went on a 4-goal scoring spree in the last 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter. Exeter responded with a lone Alan Eberstein goal, so it became a 7-7 game going into the 4th and final quarter. Exeter struck first on another Eberstein goal, but controlling faceoffs became a huge factor. Navy was able to keep the pressure on a tiring defensive unit that had been playing heroically all day. Navy scored a string of four unanswered goals to take an 11-8 lead with seven minutes remaining. Alan Eberstein's third goal narrowed the margin to two with plenty of time to go, but Navy was able to elude the full field pressure tactics at the end of the game to maintain their lead. This was exactly the kind of competitive contest Exeter needed.
See Game Pics

Team	1st quarter	2nd quarter	3rd quarter	4th quarter	Game Total
Exeter	1	3	4	2	10
Navy Prep	0	2	5	7	14

Game Ball Winner -

Game Scoring - Goals - Eberstein (3),D'Annolfo,Golding, Monroe (2), Nurick (3)

                           Assists -: Eberstein (2), Golding (2), Voccola

Saves/Shots on Goal - Miller 10/24, Prudden 1/1