Hartford, Conn. – Senior midfielder Matt Cohen (East Lyme, Conn.) scored four goals and assisted senior tri-captain middie Nick Shaheen (Williamsburg, Mass.) on the game-winner with 1:13 left in overtime to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a thrilling, come-from-behind 17-16 victory over the visiting Amherst College Lord Jeffs in New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) men's lacrosse action this afternoon on Jessee/Miller Field.  Trinity closes the regular season with a 5-10 overall record and a 3-7 mark in the NESCAC with its first win in four games, while Amherst completes its regular season at 5-9 overall and 3-7 in the conference.  Trinity can qualify for the NESCAC Championship Tournament, which starts Saturday, if Bowdoin defeats Tufts later this evening, while a Tufts win gives Amherst the final playoff spot

Trinity trailed from the 12:01 mark of the third period until the final goal, after an unassisted Amherst tally by sophomore Eric Grein (Floral Park, N.Y.) gave the visitors an 11-10 lead, but outscored the Lord Jeffs, 5-1, over the final 5:24 of regulation and the extra period.  Following a goal by Amherst junior Patrick Moroney (Manhasset, N.Y.) that capped off a 3-0 run for the visitors, Trinity senior tri-captain attackman Rob Nogueras (Parkland, Fla.) ripped his fourth tally of the day with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter and Bantam sophomore Michael McQuiston (Greenwich, Conn.) fed sophomore attackman Matt Hauck (Ridgewood, N.J.) for a  goal with 8:24 left in the fourth frame.  Amherst junior attackman Devin Acton (Sudbury, Mass.) answered from senior attackman Jeff Izzo (Plandome, N.Y.) with his second score of the game 47 seconds later to give the Lord Jeffs a 16-14 lead. 

Just over four minutes later, McQuiston intercepted an Amherst pass at the restraining line and raced down the field before passing quickly to junior attackman Chase Growney (Berwyn, Pa.) for a then-season-high 15^th Bantam goal.  Trinity senior tri-captain midfielder Drew Grombala (Cincinnati, Ohio) picked up a ground ball after an Amherst drop moments later, and Trinity advanced into its offensive end.  Nogueras alertly picked up a loose ball and passed to Hauck for the game-tying tally with 2:13 on the clock. Each team turned the ball over three times after the ensuing face-off, and Amherst withstood a 30-second man-down situation.  Trinity sophomore Makar Zaverucha (Duxbury, Mass.) made two key saves on close shots in the overtime before Shaheen completed his hat trick with the clincher.

The game was tied 5-5 after one period, as Nogueras scored the game's first two goals, and Amherst freshman Quinn Moroney (Manhasset, N.Y.) notched assists on three Amherst goals in the opening stanza.  Izzo and Quinn Moroney scored back-to-back goals to open the second quarter, but Cohen beat Amherst first-year goalie Thomas Gilligan (Edina, Minn.) three times in the second including the last unassisted with 25 seconds on the clock to make the score, 9-8, in Amherst's favor.  Lord Jeff junior face-off specialist Duncan Morrissey (Ridgefield, Conn.) won one of his 22 successful chances in 31 tries, and Izzo finished the first half with a last-second goal for the Lord Jeffs.  Nogueras scored his third of the day 1:09 after the break, and Shaheen scored from Growney 49 seconds later to tie the score at 10-10.

Trinity outshot Amherst, 50-36, while Amherst won the ground ball battle, 39-34.  The Bantams forced 25 turnovers and committed 19, and Trinity was 0-for-4 with the extra man.  Nogueras (4g,1a) and Hauck (3g,2a) joined Cohen as four-point Bantam scorers, while Shaheen added an assist for his fourth point, and Growney totaled a goal and two assists.  Senior Tim Reichert (Williston, Vt.) had a team-high five ground balls and scored a goal, while rookie Michael Lofrese (Stewart Manor, N.Y.) registered two ground balls and two caused turnovers, and Zaverucha made seven saves and allowed six goals after relieving freshman Henry Coote (St. David's, Pa.) in the Trinity goal at halftime.  Quinn Moroney led all scorers with seven points on two goals and five assists, while Izzo finished with a hat trick plus an assist for the Lord Jeff offense.  Morrissey scooped a game-high 11 groundballs, and Gilligan finished with 12 Amherst saves.

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