There is nothing quite like sinking the game-winning shot.

Every team in sports knows all too well the grind of a long week of practice, and the doubts and questions that creep in throughout a long season; is it all worth it?

Hitting a game winner puts all of those doubts to rest. It can change the course of a season and propel a team to a new level of confidence in clutch situations.

Shippensburg University men’s lacrosse got a taste of that feeling with an overtime win over Millersville University this past Friday from Robb Field. Here it in the words of the game’s hero, Vinny DInnocenzo, who found the back of the net to break a 5-5 tie.

"Scoring a game winning goal is always such an unbelievable feeling, it’s unlike any goal I have scored in my entire career," DInnocenzo said. “Our team had possession and my teammate Tut was moving the ball behind the goal when he saw me on the backside wide open and delivered a perfect pass. I was able to bring it in and bury it home for a well-earned win.”

Shippensburg took the field as the sun was setting, matching up against Millersville (3-5) in the first match of a 3-game weekend set.

Millersville got out to a hot start, as Greg Quillian drew first blood on a short-range shot. SU answered with back-to-back goals; Eric Cantor picked up the Raider’s first point and Tyer Murkley followed up with a bullet from the left side of the box that hit the back of the net to give SU it’s first lead 2-1.

Billy Franks scored the next two goals for the Marauders, tipping the advantage back in MU’s favor. Jake Knause scored next for the Raiders, followed by a goal from Colin Ward that set Shippensburg up with the 4-3 advantage. Franks struck again for MU however, evening the score.

Murkley then scored his second goal of the night to give SU the lead; Franks once again tied the score, this time at 5 apiece. The standout Marauder finished the contest with a game-high four goals.

With the score knotted at five, DInnocenzo hit his game-winning shot. The field erupted in celebration as a long night’s battle ended with a victory.

“We practiced offensive ball movement and we practiced improvements on defense,” senior defenseman and team president Nick Best said. “That helped us move the ball faster and that helps us create more plays, and that creates more looks for shots, and more shots equals more goals. That and the time of possession were key today.”

“We struggled on defense for the last game,” Shippensburg goalkeeper Tony Tran added after picking up 10 saves on the night. “This game we really stepped it up, kept me away from the attackers and helped me get a lot of saves today. So thanks to the long poles on defense for having a really good game today.”
The Raiders improved to 2-3 on the season with the win, which was as satisfying as any so far this season.

“The entire team had fought so hard throughout the night that I felt I wanted to celebrate with all of my teammates,” DInnocenzo said after the game. “Overall we truly proved how much will power we have as a unit and that we are a force to be reckoned with. We are truly a unique family and every time we step onto that field we are all willing to sacrifice everything for our brothers beside us in order to win."

The Raiders played two more games over the weekend. The squad matched up against York College on Saturday night, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead before ultimately falling 8-6. Injuries and exhaustion played a role in the loss, according to Best.

The Sunday game featured a matchup against the Pennsylvania College of Technology that Shippensburg won in part due to solid late-game defense. Down 3-0 early in the contest, the Raiders scored five straight to lead 5-3 at the midway point. The defense held up in the second half, giving up two goals while the offense scored four. The outstanding defense came despite an injured Best, who plays a key role on defense.

Shippensburg returns to action this Friday, travelling to Kutztown at 8 p.m.

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