Marist men’s lacrosse (3-3, 1-0 MAAC) survived a fourth quarter comeback scare against Iona (1-7, 0-1 MAAC) en route to a 12-7 victory to open their MAAC schedule. This win moves the Red Foxes to .500 on the year and 1-0 in conference play.
Graduate student midfielder Josh Balcarcel and sophomore attacker Collin Patrick recorded hat-tricks while freshman goalie Adam Wacholder saved 10 shots in his debut.
Balcarcel and Patrick dished out a pair of assists, finishing with five points each. Balcarcel now has 15 points on the year, with double-digit goals. Patrick remains towards the top of the Division I leaderboards, scoring 24 points over six games with 14 goals and 10 assists.
The two sides met for the first time as it is Iona’s inaugural season of men’s lacrosse. The Gaels are 1-7, with their singular victory being an away win over Hampton. Freshman midfielder Kyle Hardie scored a hat-trick for the Gaels.
Goalie Denny Piekutowski saved 11 shots for Iona, but Marist’s 49 shots and nine caused turnovers proved enough to carry them to the victory.
Wacholder got the start over seniors Noble Smith and Bryant O’Donnell, both of whom struggled in losses to Denver and Air Force, two of the Red Foxes’ tougher non-conference matchups.
Hardie’s third goal with just over a dozen minutes to play, brought the game to within a goal. Marist then scored four straight to extend the lead to five and ice the game. Patrick had two, Balcarcel got one, and sophomore attacker Steven Cain scored one of his two goals.
Marist’s ability to control the ball became a key factor in the win; senior faceoff specialist Dylan Bedell and freshman Josh Smith combined to win 15 of 23 faceoffs. Controlling the draws means more possessions, and the Red Foxes’ volume of shot attempts led to their second most goals of the year.
Marist exploded for six goals on 18 shots in the first quarter, dominating the Gaels 6-1. They also scooped up 11 ground balls, ending up with 19 in the first half and 37 over four quarters.
The Red Foxes converted on two-of-three extra man opportunities. Patrick got one late in the fourth, and senior attacker Jake Deacy grabbed his in the first. Iona went 0-3 on those opportunities, failing to capitalize on their chances to stay in the game.
Iona’s defense played admirably in arguably their second best performance of the year, causing eight turnovers, making 11 saves, and making 19-22 on clears. The Gaels’ offense put 17 of 33 attempts on net, but Wacholder held up.
Five Marist players logged five or more shots, as their offense continued to fire. Cain attempted eight, with Patrick and sophomore midfielder Sean Mullan each shooting seven times. Redshirt freshman attacker Jamie Kennedy and freshman attacker Cullen Lawry each scored once on a combined 11 shots, however, Hardie was efficient with a hat-trick on four shots for Iona.
Marist continues MAAC play at home on Saturday, March 15 when they host Quinnipiac and MAAC preseason player of the year senior goalie Mason Oak. Quinnipiac is 1-5 on the year, with their lone win being a 21-10 MAAC win against Mount St. Mary’s. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Edited by Marley Pope
Photo from Kira Crutcher
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