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Lacrosse: Falcons fall to Yale at First 4

by Melissa McKeown

Unable to answer a 6-0 run by the Bulldogs, the Air Force lacrosse team dropped a 12-9 decision to No. 18 Yale March 10 in the opening game of the First 4, held at Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego. The Falcons drop to 1-3 on the season, while the Bulldogs remain undefeated at 3-0.

Yale scored the first two goals of the contest and still led 3-2 at the end of the opening period. However, the Falcons, who notched the final goal of the first quarter, opened the second period with three unanswered goals, including back-to-back scores from senior Justin Kuchta (Ridgefield, Conn.), to take a 5-3 advantage.

The Bulldogs got back on the board to come within a single point, but Kuchta responded with his third goal of the game to give Air Force a 6-4 lead with just over a minute and a half remaining in the half. The Falcons' advantage was short-lived, as a pair of Yale scores just six seconds apart tied the game at 6-6 going into intermission.

The momentum continued in the direction of the Bulldogs in the third period, as Yale rattled off four straight scores to grab a 10-6 advantage. While the Falcons were able to get back within two goals with a pair of scores from Griffin Nevitt (So., Charlotte, N.C.) and Will Meister (Sr., Denver, Colo.), Yale closed out the period with another score.

A man-up goal by junior Kevin Crumrine (Edgewater, Md.) with 11:36 remaining in the final period cut the Falcons' deficit to just two points with plenty of time remaining. However, there was no more scoring in the game until the five-minute mark, when the Bulldogs tallied their final goal of the game to take the 12-9 victory.

Kuchta finished with three goals to lead the Falcons, while Nevitt (two goals, one assist) and Meister (one goal, two assists) each added three points. Also scoring for Air Force were Crumrine with two goals and senior Conrad Lochocki (Chalfont, Pa.) with a score.

The Falcons are back in action March 17, when they head to Lewisburg, Pa., to take on Bucknell in a noon (ET) contest.

Source: U.S. Air Force

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