Air Force (2-4) scored 16 first half goals in a 23-8 rout of Marist (2-3). 15 total points from senior attacker Josh Yago and junior attacker Caelan Driggs led the Falcons to an easy win.
Marist played Air Force two days after their loss to Denver, another blowout. The Red Foxes finish the road trip without a win, scoring only 13 goals over the two games.
A solid second half performance held the Academy to only a touchdown of goals, but Marist’s offense could only repeat their first half output.
Yago and Driggs each scored five goals, with Yago notching a hat trick just seven minutes into the match. He added two more goals and a hat trick of assists, marking a new season high in points. Meanwhile, Briggs provided two assists to go with his five goals, tying a career high in points. Senior midfielder Wes Peene added a hat trick of his own, with the three Falcons combining for 13 goals on 23 shots.
Head coach Dave Scarcello substituted senior goalie Noble Smith after the first quarter, which the Academy won 9-3. Senior goalie Bryant O’Donnell came in for just his second career appearance, conceding 14 across three quarters and saving seven shots.
Smith has now conceded 51 goals in just over 239 minutes, just under 13 per game. While that number is not terrible in context, his 42 saves leave a lot to be desired.
Seven different Marist players found the net, with sophomore midfielder Sean Mullen scoring two. Sophomore attacker Collin Patrick stayed hot despite his team’s lackluster offensive output, grabbing a goal and an assist.
The Falcons outshot the Red Foxes 50-38 with 12 more shots on goal. Air Force also scored on both of their extra-man opportunities, proving even more how completely focused their offense was.
Senior goalie Jake Marek saved nine of the 15 shots at his net, doing enough to keep Marist’s total low while his offense ran it up.
Scarcello’s half time message gave his team a bit of ignition, with his side only losing the second half 7-4.
Aside from the scoreboard, the Red Foxes were largely competitive with the Academy. The faceoffs were split almost evenly between the two sides, and the turnovers were just slightly higher for the Red Foxes. Air Force forced more turnovers and cleared the ball more efficiently, contributing to the rout.
After substituting Smith for O’Donnell, the Marist defense certainly had to adjust. The Falcons won the second quarter 7-1, with the game seeming wrapped up after just 30 minutes.
Marist’s offense hit a dry spell on this weekend road trip, scoring just four goals over a combined 65 minutes of play. When viewed over 120 minutes of play—or two full games—the number 13 definitely does not look better.
The Red Foxes have now scored 51 goals in five games, just over 10 per game. Marist continues to give up plenty of shots on net, causing problems for whichever goalie is between the sticks. They have managed just over 55 shots on goal, and you cannot score if you do not put the ball on net.
Marist remains on the road for its MAAC opener at Iona. The opening faceoff is scheduled for noon on Saturday, Mar 8. Iona’s inaugural season of lacrosse has been a rough start, with the Gaels sitting at 1-5 and scoring just 48 goals in six games.
Edited by Michael Burns
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photo from Cassidy Connors
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