Box Score DOYLESTOWN (PA) – Delaware Valley University honored its seniors before its final home game of the season and the duo of Troy Darpino and Danny Smith combined for three goals, but it was not enough as Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Freedom front-runner Misericorida University held off a late charge by the Aggies to pull out a 16-13 road victory.
 
The Cougars improved to 9-3 overall and 6-0 in league games to secure the top seed in this year's MAC Freedom playoffs while DelVal fell to 6-7 overall and 2-4 in conference games.
 
Misericordia went up early in this game when Ryan Romaine won the opening faceoff, scooped the ground ball and raced down to score just 14 seconds in. The Aggies got the goal back at the halfway mark of the first quarter as Dylan Brasch set up Chris Coyle on a man-up situation.
 
In a back-and-forth first quarter, it was the Cougars who took a 2-1 lead on Pat Kellish's first goal of the night before DelVal tied it again with a shot from Jordan Smith off the assist from P.J. Rafferty.
 
Misericordia scored twice in the first four minutes of the second quarter to make it 4-2, but the Aggies again had the answer. Coyle made it a one-goal game with his second of the evening and senior Danny Smith brought the game to its third deadlock. Smith scooped a ground ball off the faceoff and raced down the field before beating the goalie with a low shot from in close.
 
The Cougars then went on a 5-0 run that spanned seven minutes of the second quarter and gave them a 9-4 lead with just under two minutes before the break. Five different players scored in the spurt including Sean McSwiggan and Kyle Reese who each picked up an assist in the run as well.
 
In the final minute of the second quarter, Darpino pounced on a ground ball in front of the net and scooped it home for his first of the season and the Aggies trailed, 9-5, at the half.
 
The game resumed its back-and-forth tempo in the third quarter as each team scored three times. DelVal got the first on a goal from Matthew Laurence, but Misericordia scored the next two including a man-up goal from Kellish. Then it was Danny Smith who scooped another ground ball off a faceoff and took it all the way to the cage for his seventh tally of the season that made it 11-7 with 5:42 on the third quarter clock. Each team found the back of the net in the final minute before the final stanza with Jordan Smith getting his second of the night for the Aggies.
 
The Cougars extended their lead to 13-8 when McSwiggan took a pass from Brandon Winslow and put it past the keeper with 10:35 left in regulation, but DelVal looked poised for a comeback.
 
Matt Tordone won the ensuing faceoff, scooped the ground ball, and fed Rafferty who made it 13-9. Tordone again took the faceoff and won it to Danny Smith, who gave it back to Tordone and he eventually found the back of the net for his second of the year. Bryan Thompson settled in for the next faceoff and was credited with the win and Rafferty quickly found Brasch in front for the Aggies third goal in just 51 seconds and a 13-11 score.
 
DelVal however, could not get any closer as the Cougars scored the next three goals to put it away and seal the 16-13 victory. 
 
Laurence (three goals) and Rafferty (one goal, two assists) each finished with three points. Brasch, Danny Smith and Jordan Smith all picked up two goals and Coyle and Tordone also finished with two points on a goal and an assist each. Darpino and Danny Smith combined for 11 ground balls and one caused turnover on their night and Nic Brown made 11 saves in goal.
 
For the Cougars, McSwiggan had four goals and two assists for a game-high six points. Kellish added two goals and two helpers while Fleming, Kocovsky and Winslow each finished with three points. Matt Beck earned the win in goal with nine saves.