Marist men’s lacrosse (8-7, 6-3 MAAC) locked down Manhattan (6-9, 4-5 MAAC) in the first round of the MAAC playoffs, winning 16-7.
The Red Foxes advance to the semi-finals, where to face Siena, who dominated Marist 24-9 in their regular season matchup.
Junior attacker Peter Murray scored a massive five goals, a new career high. Sophomore attackers Steven Cain and Collin Patrick scored hat-tricks, with seven total Red Foxes finding the net.
“Obviously, today was my day, but I really have to give credit to my teammates for swinging the ball because without them, I don’t have any goals today,” said Murray.
Freshman goalie Adam Wacholder, making his first career playoff start, saved nine shots, keeping the ball in front of him while his team’s attack consistently generated offense.
“Pretty unbelievable to see him step up like that,” said head coach Dave Scarcello. “He’s been doing that all season for us and it was great to see him rebound from Wednesday.”
Senior faceoff specialist Dylan Bedell continued his dominance in 2025, winning 13 of his 19 faceoffs.
Senior midfielder Drew Hiner scored twice and assisted once in the loss. Fellow senior midfielder Kelly DuPree was second on his team in points, with a goal and an assist apiece.
Graduate student goalkeeper and current MAAC defensive player of the year Connor Hapward saved nine shots, although Marist’s offensive barrage of 44 shots and 26 on target was simply too much.
Senior attacker Jake Deacy found the net once and assisted twice. Sophomore attacker Sean Mullen stayed hot, scoring twice.
Senior defender Sully MacMurphy scored the first goal of his career, which gave the large home crowd a massive jolt early in the game.
“It’s a play he’s made a couple of times in practice, so I know he was licking his chops when he saw that field open up,” said Scarcello.
Senior long-stick midfielder and MAAC LSM of the Year Michael Cassanno scooped up five ground balls. Marist’s defense fired on all cylinders, holding Manhattan to seven goals, three of them coming in garbage time later in the fourth quarter.
The Red Foxes opened the game on a 3-0 run, with Cain getting two and Murray grabbing his first. Manhattan scored to end the quarter, although Marist held firm momentum.
Four goals in the second frame gave Marist a five-goal lead at the half. Patrick, Deacy, Cain and MacMurphy all found the net. Freshman midfielder Thomas White stopped the bleeding a bit as he scored, but it was all Marist through the first half.
Hiner opened the second half with a goal, but four straight goals from Marist changed the outlook completely. An 11-3 lead going into the final frame with a large run ongoing left the Red Fox faithful in great spirits despite the wind.
Each team put up three straight in the fourth, but Marist’s early defensive shutdown kept the Jaspers out of it. A nine-goal fourth quarter was exciting, although not impactful on the result.
The Red Foxes seemingly scooped every ground ball, winning an even 66% of the faceoffs while collecting 41 ground balls to Manhattan’s 26.
All-MAAC first teamer and senior defender Aidan McCaffrey scooped six of those 41 and three turnovers.
“We said that we needed to bounce back… turning around and letting up seven goals, that’s a team win,” said McCaffrey.
Marist’s home support was rampant for the playoff matchup. Every goal, hit, or big play lit a spark through the bundled-up fans.
“We love it. A ball goes down on the other end and we’re talking right to the bench,” said McCaffrey.
Siena got a bye in the first round after a 7-1 MAAC campaign, with their legs being fresher going into the semi-final. A week off to rest and plan could prove crucial as they look to win their eighth straight.
Marist has been playing every three or four days for the last month, although Scarcello denies any fatigue in his squad.
“There is no fatigue at this time of the year. Nobody feels sorry for us; we need to be ready to work,” said Scarcello. “The guys know this is playoff lacrosse.”
The Red Foxes battle the Saints on Thursday, May 1st at 7 p.m.
Edited by Marley Pope
Graphic by Kira Crutcher; Photo by John Jankowski
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