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Skophammer Scores Five as No. 18 Yale Upsets No. 10 Florida 10-7 at National Collegiate Club Championship
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- David Skophammer (So., Los Angeles, Calif.) scored five goals to earn Player of the Game honors as the No. 18-nationally ranked Bulldogs of Yale University upset No. 10 University of Florida in their home pool in the final game on Day 1 of the 2009 Men's National Collegiate Club Championship.
Florida never led in the game as Skophammer opened the scoring 62 seconds into the game with a direct shot to stake the Bulldogs to a 1-0 lead. Paul Orland (So., St. Louis, Mo.) contributed a man-up goal with 4:07 left in the opening period to move the lead to 2-0, but the Gators chomped for back-to-back goals by Eisa Al Nashmi (Gr., Kuwait) and Jarrod Bonsman (Gr., Lake Mary, Fla.) at 3:16 and 1:08, respectivley, to pull even.
Yale then went on a 6-0 scoring run which ran from the 48 seconds mark of the first period to the 3:01 mark of the third to build an 8-2 lead and coast to victory.
Orland started the run with a natural goal in the closing minute of the first period to move ahead 3-2 before Thomas Lazzarini (Jr., San Marino, Calif.) added a man-up score, Skophammer tacked on his second goal of the day and Orland completed a hat-trick at the 3:25, 2:10 and 34 second marks of the second period, respectively, to give Yale a 6-2 lead at halftime.
Following the break, the Bulldogs' offense returned to the scoring streak as Andrew Nelson Fr., Baltimore, Md.) and Lazzarini found the back of the cage with 3:56 and 3:01 left in the frame for an 8-2 lead.
Florida was unable to overcome the deficit pulling to within four goals with 1:56 left in the third period, but Yale constructed the lead back to six goals with a man-up score by Skophammer with six seconds left in the period and an even-strength tally by him with 5:57 remaining in the fourth period to move the lead to 10-4.
Again, Florida attempted to rally back as Justin Oakes (Sr., Orlando, Fla.), Roberto Ferreiro (So., Hialea, Fla.) and Matt Ori (So., Winter Springs, Fla.) abused the aluminum goalposts with blasts for scores, but it was too little too late as Yale held on for the three goal victory.
Amongst the last defenders on both
sides of the pool, Travis Catron (Jr., Orlando,
Fla.) madie 10 saves for Florida, while Daniel
Kelly (Fr., Greenwich, Conn.) controlled 14 shots for
Yale.
The victory sets up an All-Ivy League showdown for a berth in the ninth place game as the Bulldogs will clash with the Lions of Columbia University at 1:40 p.m. on November 14. Overall, Yale is guranteed of finishing no lower than 12th in the 16-team championship field.
Florida will meet the University of Illinois-Chicago at 8:40 p.m. with the winner of the game tying for 13th in the final tournament standings, while the loser will fall into a tie for 15th as the final four positions (13, 14, 15, 16) are not played out due to pool availability.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | -- | Final | |
| No. 18 Yale University | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | -- | 10 |
| No. 10 University of Florida | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | -- | 7 |
Florida Goals:
Matt Ori (2); Jason Mammino; Justin Oakes; Roberto Ferreiro; Eisa
Al Nashmi; Jarrod Bonsman
Yale Goals: David Skophammer (5); Paul Orland (3); Andrew Nelson; Thomas Lazzarini
Saves: Florida - Travis Catron (10) ; Yale - Daniel Kelly (14)
Exclusions: Florida - 7 ; Yale - 2
Advantage Opportunities: Florida - 1-for-2 ; Yale - 3-for-7
Sprints: Florida - 2-for-4 ; Yale - 2-for-4
