In a showdown between two of the top teams in the MAAC, the No. 2 Marist Red Foxes defeated the No. 3 Sacred Heart Pioneers 12-8 to advance to the MAAC Championship.
The Red Foxes came alive after a slow start offensively, setting up a heavyweight battle Saturday at noon against Siena for the conference title.
Both teams came out hot, scoring on their opening possessions. Sophomore attackman Brady Dolan got the scoring started for Marist with a high shot tucked just inside the right post for an early 1-0 lead.
Minutes later, junior attackman JJ Fox evened the score for Sacred Heart. After the Pioneers added another goal, junior midfielder Luke Walser capitalized on a turnover to tie the game at two.
From there, the game slowed as both defenses settled in. Sacred Heart senior goalie Craig Daria was seeing the ball well, finishing with 12 saves.
After more than five scoreless minutes, Sacred Heart sophomore midfielder Dom Basti ripped one home to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.
At the start of the second quarter, Marist looked lifeless for the first nine minutes, committing four turnovers and taking two penalties. Sacred Heart took advantage, extending its lead to 5-2, but the momentum quickly shifted.
With 3:32 remaining in the half, Marist’s offense exploded, led by junior midfielder Sean Mullan. The Red Foxes scored four goals to close the half, including three from Mullan.
“He has that takeover ability, and when he’s shooting the lights out, we’re playing great offense. He really got us going,” senior midfielder Peter Murray said.
After going scoreless since the eight-minute mark of the first quarter, Marist entered halftime with a 6-5 lead. Daria had no answer for Mullan’s three goals.
With momentum on its side, Marist continued its surge in the third quarter. In one of its most impressive quarters of the season, the Red Foxes outscored Sacred Heart 4-0, while shutting them out defensively.
Just over two minutes into the half, Mullan struck again from beyond midfield while Sacred Heart was in a 10-man ride. He finished the match with a game-high four goals.
Freshman goalie Richie Metzger also stepped up, holding Sacred Heart scoreless in the third quarter. Metzger finished with eight saves in an impressive playoff debut.
“I think Rich approaches every day the same way you saw today, with a ton of energy,” head coach Dave Scarcello said. “He lets his play do a lot of talking, and the guys feed off that. We’re really proud of how he played.”
As the defense continued to shut down Sacred Heart, the offense added three more goals to end the quarter, including one from freshman attackman Jayce Konowitz with under 10 seconds remaining.
Leading 10-5 entering the fourth quarter, Marist faced a late push from Sacred Heart. The pioneers scored twice in 30 seconds to cut the deficit to 10-7.
Needing a response, Marist got one from Dolan, who scored his second goal of the game, followed by a goal from junior attackman Steven Cain — a rocket from the top of the box.
With Sacred Heart running out of time, the Marist defense stood tall. The Red Foxes forced 20 turnovers and successfully killed all six penalties without allowing a goal.
“They’ve been top five in the country all season — that’s not a fluke,” Scarcello said. “They’ve worked their tails off to get there, and they proved it today in a big moment.”
As the clock wound down, Marist secured the 12-8 victory and advanced to face rival Siena on the Saints’ home turf Saturday at noon.
In their earlier meeting this season, Siena won in double overtime. The Saints have also eliminated Marist from the playoffs in each of the past two seasons. However, in Marist’s last MAAC championship win in 2023, it was Siena that the Red Foxes defeated.
“Personally, I’ve been waiting for this MAAC championship moment since my freshman year,” Murray said. “We’re ready to get after it and do whatever it takes to win.”
Edited by Nate Shoemaker
Photo and Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
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