With a torrential downpour ensuing at Tenny Stadium, Marist men’s lacrosse suffered their second conference loss in three games to undefeated Quinnipiac.
Both teams ranked at the top in the MAAC conference in turnovers per game, but neither team took care of the ball, committing a combined 37 turnovers each in the windy rainstorm. The veteran-led Bobcats (7-0, 3-0 MAAC) stayed level and wore the Red Foxes (4-4, 1-2 MAAC) down to come away with a win.
The Red Foxes went 2-8 on the extra man, committing several turnovers with a man advantage.
Senior midfielder Ryan Donnery led Quinnipiac with three goals and three assists; four other Bobcats scored twice, creating a balanced offense. Sophomore attackman Peter Murray and junior attackman Jake Deacy both recorded hat tricks on the day for Marist.
The Bobcats have yet to lose a game this season and have received votes to be ranked in the top 25 in the country for the past two weeks. Marist notched their first conference win last time out, putting 20 goals behind Canisius.
Murray scored Marist’s first two goals in the opening five minutes. Quinnipiac graduate student attackman John DeLucia tied the game halfway through the first quarter.
After the Red Foxes scored two straight, Ryan Donnery got one back for Quinnipiac with 56 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Five turnovers and one faceoff win put the Bobcats in a deficit after one quarter.
Despite the sloppy play, Quinnipiac tied the game at four after a goal from senior midfielder Steven Germain.
With the game tied at five, Marist junior goalie Noble Smith made two key saves while Quinnipiac had a two-minute extra-man opportunity. The Bobcats continued to push on offense and gained their first lead after sophomore attackman Justin Robbert stung a corner.
Less than a minute later, senior attackman Dylan Donnery forced a Marist timeout with another goal. The Bobcats led 7-5 with 7:40 left in the second quarter.
Quinnipiac started to separate by extending that run to five goals over nine minutes. Marist needed an answer; senior attackman Joshua Balcarcel picked off a pass and scored on his own. Thirty seconds later, Murray completed his hat trick with a right-hand hammer.
The Red Foxes drew closer with those two goals, trailing by two at halftime. A sloppy half provided numerous scoring chances as both teams committed five penalties and at least eight turnovers. Quinnipiac capitalized, scoring two goals on the extra man in the second quarter.
The Bobcats clamped down in the third quarter, not allowing Marist to generate any quality looks on offense. Quinnipiac doubled their halftime lead with three minutes remaining in the third stanza.
Marist recorded 14 shots in the third quarter, but Bobcat junior goalie Mason Oak made four saves to not allow any goals in the period.
Freshman attackman Collin Patrick broke the deadlock with an individual effort to bring Marist within three with 11 minutes left in the game.
Quinnipiac facilitated its methodical offense and closed the door after Marist’s 17th turnover. Ryan Donnery finished a hat trick with 5:20 remaining in the game, and Quinnipiac led 13-8.
Marist scored twice in the final minutes but fell short of making a comeback. The Red Foxes could not get back into the game in the second half and were left to chase the rest of the way. Oak finished with 11 saves to extend the Bobcats’ perfect start to the season.
The Bobcats’ goalie ranks first in the nation in save percentage and seventh in goals allowed per game, limiting Marist to just three goals in the second half.
Marist heads on the road to face Sacred Heart on Wednesday, Mar. 27. Opening faceoff at Campus Field in Fairfield, Connecticut, is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Edited by Sam Murphy
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo; Photo from Marist Athletics
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X and TikTok, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.
