HAMILTON, N.Y. - Freshman Vince D'Alto scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season with 1:53 to play, lifting the Boston University men's lacrosse team to thrilling 13-12 win at Colgate in its Patriot League opener on Saturday afternoon at Crown Field.

The Terriers trailed 10-6 early in the third but chipped away and scored seven of the game's final goals to earn the road win and improve to an even 3-3 on the season.

D'Alto and sophomores Jake Cates and Timmy Ley each tallied two goals and an assist while freshman Louis Perfetto registered a team-best four points (1g, 3a). Freshman Thomas Niedringhaus collected his second hat trick of the campaign, with his third and final goal of the contest evening the score at 12-12 late in the fourth quarter.

Junior Tommy Nook notched a goal and an assist while senior Jared Nugent and sophomore Matt Hilburn also found the back of the net.

Defensively, senior Reece Eddy caused two turnovers and gathered four ground balls. Junior Sean Christman won eight faceoffs and also collected four ground balls. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Cates opened the scoring just 1:32 into the proceedings when he caught the ball near midfield and then sprinted past his defender before uncorking a shot past Sean Collins.
• Colgate tallied the next two goals, but Niedringhaus evened the score when he backed down a defender and ripped home his fifth goal of the season.
• Perfetto gave BU a 3-2 lead less than a minute later off a feed from Nook.
• The teams then traded goals, with Ley's seventh strike of the season coming between a pair of Griffin Brown markers.
• The Raiders held a 5-4 lead after 15 minutes, but BU equalized on its first possession of the second quarter when Perfetto rolled off a defender after he drew a double team and fed Hilburn in front for the sophomore's first goal of the season.
• Colgate collected the next three goals, however, to take an 8-5 advantage.
• Nook ensured BU was within two at halftime with his goal at 2:10. Cates kept the play alive as he fought through a triple team, eventually getting the ball to Perfetto, who then dished to Nook for the goal with just one tick remaining on the shot clock.
• The Raiders tallied the first two goals of the third quarter, including a shot from distance that beat the 10-man ride.
• BU responded with two goals in the final 1:31 to get back within a pair entering the fourth quarter. D'Alto began the sequence with a great dodge and finish before Cates beat the buzzer with his second strike of the game.
• Niedringhaus kept the run going with his second marker of the contest to cut the deficit to one, but Nicky Petkevich regained a two-goal edge for Colgate less than a minute later.
• That two-goal lead disappeared thanks to goals from Ley and senior Jared Nugent to make it an 11-11 score with 6:35 to play, but Colgate quickly answered to make it 12-11.
• BU scored the final two goals to complete the comeback, beginning with an absolute rocket of a shot by Niedringhaus for his hat trick with 4:31 to play.
• D'Alto's heroics came with 1:53 to play when he used an incredible dodge to shake his defender and then rip home a goal before another defender closed on him.

GAME NOTES

• Senior Joe McSorley recorded 10 saves to pick up the win in goal.
• For the fourth straight game, all six starting attackers and midfielders had at least one point.
• Nugent and Ley have scored a goal in all six games this season while Perfetto has registered an assist in all six contests.
• Perfetto leads the squad with nine assists while D'Alto leads BU in goals (14) and points (21).
• Ley extended his goal streak to 15 games dating back to last season.
• The Terriers held a 45-31 shot advantage and each man-up unit scored a goal.
• BU earned 37 ground balls to Colgate's 32 and Ley led the Terriers with five.
• The Terriers were 21-of-23 on clears and held Colgate to an 18-for-25 performance in the clearing game.

UP NEXT

• The Terriers will return to action next Saturday (March 7) when they host Bucknell.
• Game time at Nickerson Field is set for 1 p.m.