Marist women’s lacrosse, looking to start a win streak for the first time this season, lost to the Monmouth Hawks 9-5.
Monmouth came into Tenney Stadium winless (now 1-4 overall) and put on a defensive masterclass, holding the Foxes to just one goal in the second half. Sophomore goalie Katie Sullivan led the way for the Hawks in net, allowing only five goals on twelve shots.
“They do a good job closing the gaps a bit quicker for our shooters to make it a little more difficult with a bigger goalie. Hats off to her; she made good saves and had good timing,” said Marist head coach Keith Detelj.
On offense, senior midfielder Chloe Birckhead led the way for the Red Foxes, scoring two goals in the first quarter and assisting on another later in the game. Birckhead was the only Marist player with multiple goals.
Marist’s leading point scorer going into the night, sophomore Kate Gaven, was swarmed by the Hawks’ defense. She finished with just one point on seven shots and a turnover.
“I think it was just one of those days where she didn’t shoot as well as she did the previous game. You know, we have confidence in Katie to take those shots, and that’s why she took them. And you know, come the next game, we’re not holding her off from shooting,” said Detelj.
Monmouth came out of the gates flying, getting a quick 5-2 lead in the first quarter, and it was just too much for Marist to handle. Late in the first quarter, Monmouth senior attackman Caroline Brennan scored a goal on a failed quickstick that lollipopped over the head of Marist sophomore goalie Megan Morris.
Morris struggled early on, but ended up putting on one of her best performances of the year, tying her season high with 11 saves.
“My defense really got me some good looks today, so I was just trying to feed off their energy. I was really just trying to feed off everyone else and trying to step up and keep that energy on the field,” said Morris.
In the second quarter, the Marist offense came alive with quick goals from junior midfielder Caitlin McNaboe and sophomore midfielder Catherine Windsor, making it a close game heading to the locker room.
Coming out of halftime with a 6-4 score, Marist scored just minutes in, making it a one-score game. As Marist looked to tie things up for the first time since the opening draw, that’s when star Monmouth junior attackman Shea Berigen took over.
Berigan scored back-to-back goals instantly, reclaiming all of their lost momentum. She ended the game with a game-high four goals, bringing her total to 14 goals on the season in just four games.
As the game started to get out of reach, the penalty bug began to bite the Foxes. Marist had seven penalties in total, including five alone in the second half, ultimately too much to overcome.
Once the clock expired, Monmouth left Tenney Stadium victorious, securing their first win of the season with a 9-5 final. As Binghamton comes to Poughkeepsie on Saturday, March 1, Marist looks to put the losing streak behind them.
“I think we just gotta get on the field the next two days, really look at our mistakes, and just build upon that,” said Morris. “Next, we have two more days to prepare and come out of practice and just give it our all. I don’t think that was our best showing, and I know that we can do better. The whole team knows we can do better, so we’re hungry for another win. We’re just gonna step it up.”
Marist looks to get a much-needed win before a long five-game road trip.
Edited by Dan Aulbach
Graphic From Cara Lacey, Photo From Cassidy Connors
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Bluesky. Sign up to receive daily alerts here.