No. 3 Men's Lacrosse beats Denison 17-13 in season opener

VICTOR, N.Y. – RIT senior Clifford Gaston scored five goals to lead the No. 3 Tigers to a 17-13 win over Denison in the 2025 season opener, Sunday.
 
Senior Nate Senez had a goal and four assists, junior Chase Bruno scored a career-best three goals and graduate student Ian Dinga tallied a goal and a career-high three assists. Graduate student Seth Grottenthaler finished with a goal and two assists, while senior Ethan Harkins scored two goals.
 
Graduate student Allyn French won 14-of-18 face offs and had seven ground balls, graduate student Drew Leahy had two caused turnovers and junior Alex Zborowski made five saves.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• RIT led 3-2 after the first quarter. Senior Dominic Comella and Bruno scored back-to-back goals to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
• Denison scored to make it 2-1 followed by Bruno's second goal of the quarter with 3:27 remaining to give RIT a 3-1 lead.
• Denison's Michael Cassidy scored with 2:23 remaining to cut the Tigers lead to 3-2.
• Grottenthaler scored with 12:22 remaining in the second quarter to increase RIT's lead to 4-2.
• Denison scored back-to-back goals, tying the game at 4-4 on Tommy Quinson's goal with 6:11 to play in the first half.
• Dinga and Senez each scored inside the final five minutes of the half to give RIT a 6-4 lead at the break.
• RIT outscored Denison 8-4 in the third quarter including a five-goal run late in the frame.
• Gaston scored four goals in the third quarter including two straight at the end of the quarter to extend RIT's lead to 14-8.
• Gaston scored early in the fourth quarter off an assist from Grottenthaler to give RIT a 15-8 lead.
• Harkins scored with 11:25 to play off an assist from Gaston to give the Tigers a 16-9 lead.
• Denison ran off three straight goals, cutting RIT's lead to 16-12 on Grant Larson's goal with 5:36 remaining.
• Senior Connor Finneran scored with 3:44 remaining to give RIT a 17-12 lead and Jack Hines scored for Denison with 2:50 remaining to make it a 17-13 final.

 
GAME NOTES:

• RIT outshot Denison, 53-29.
• The Tigers were 19-of-22 on clearing attempts
• RIT had 43 ground balls to 32 for the Big Red

 
WHAT'S NEXT:
RIT returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 22) at Grove City at 12:00 p.m.