Jackets Trounce Tigers in SELC Quarterfinal

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets hosted the Auburn Tigers in the Quarterfinal round of the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC) tournament on a sun splashed Roe-Stamps Field.  In a rematch of an earlier season game that the Yellow Jackets won 16-11 both teams came in hoping to make a statement and keep their seasons alive.  The Jackets got on the board first when Asher Wagnon scored an unassisted goal two minutes into the game.  Two minutes later Michael Grosso fed Pierce Quarles to put the Jackets up by two.  Less than a minute later Andrew Belli drove to his right and found a cutting Matt Seifert to extend the lead to three.  The Tigers answered with a goal of their own two minutes later.  The Jackets closed the first quarter scoring with two goals in nine seconds.  First Andrew Belli posted up on the right side  of the goal and slipped a feed to Michel Grosso for a goal.  On the ensuing faceoff, Aaron Piszczek took the ground ball forward on a fast break and fired home a shot.  The Yellow Jacket defense was swarming and turned away the Tiger dodgers giving them no room to breathe. 

The Tigers fighting to keep their season alive would not relent and scored the first goal of the second quarter on an outside shot from the left wing.  Less than a minute later, the Jackets took advantage of their first extra man opportunity of the game.  Pierce Quarles fed Joseph Rose for an inside goal twelve seconds into the penalty.  Two minutes later, Carrington Kelsey pushed the ball forward in transition and fed Pierce Quarles for a transition goal to bring the score to 7-2 in favor of the Jackets,  The Tigers would score the next goal before the Jackets added two more tallies to end the half.  Pierce Quarles scored an unassisted goal in early offense.  On the next possession, the Jackets executed a beautiful offensive possession with multiple dodges drawing slide before the ball ended up with Quarles behind the goal who fed a cutting Rose on the crease.    The Jackets won eight of thirteen faceoffs in the first half behind a strong effort from Ben Skopicki.  The shots that the Tech defense allowed were mostly gobbled up by goalie Peter Zagrobelny who had finished with seven saves to three goals allowed. Hudson Higgins led the defense while George Corbin ran air traffic control, batting down several Tiger passes and Ian Balser harassed the Tigers in the middle of the field.

Much like the opening of the game, Asher Wagnon scored the opening goal two minutes into the third quarter.  Quarles found Rose inside again for the second goal of the third quarter.  Michael Grosso scored an isolation goal after turning his defender around with a big stick fake.  The teams would trade goals the rest of the quarter.  Auburn scored first in transition.  Pierce Quarles fed Andrew Belli for a goal in response.  Auburn answered with an unassisted goal.  Ryan Menghi won the faceoff forward and pushed the fast break before finding Brooks Baro on the wing for a goal.    Aaron Piszczek added another goal to close the third quarter.  The Jackets were able to substitute freely in the fourth quarter and closed out the 18-11 victory.  Tech will now advance to the SELC Semi-Finals against the Florida State Seminoles on April 20 at Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida.