FAIRFIELD, CT – The Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse team travelled down the Merritt Parkway to Sacred Heart University to take on the Pioneers in the MAAC Semifinals. Sacred Heart came into the game ranked 16th in the nation in the Inside Lacrosse Poll.
Despite coming in with momentum after their upset win over Canisius over the weekend, the Bobcats lost to the Pioneers 18-11.
The MAAC regular season champion Pioneers started the game out hot, scoring two goals within 17 seconds of each other, with Will Moulton and Cayden Brodnax picking up the first two.
The Bobcats would strike back almost immediately with Nate Watson putting one past Pioneer goaltender Alex Paziena with an assist by Glenn Platania.
Watson, a sophomore, would have six points on three goals and three assists on the day. Much of the Bobcats’ lineup was made up of either first or second-year players.
“I’m excited about them,” Quinnipiac head coach Mason Poli said after the game, “Now they’ve got experience under their belt coming into next season… they are very cerebral and have a great understanding of what the next steps are.”
After Watson’s goal, the Pioneers would rip off four straight goals unanswered, with Brodnax and Moulton both scoring their second goals of the game and John Murray scoring two. This would push the lead to 7-1 Sacred Heart.
After the Pioneers’ run, the Bobcats would go on a run of their own, scoring three straight in the second quarter, coming off shots by Platania and two more goals from Watson. The score was 7-4 Pioneers with just over eight minutes to go in the first half.
Despite being under pressure the whole game, Quinnipiac goaltender Mason Oak was one of the bright spots for the Bobcats, making 16 saves. Oak, who was named MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, was also playing what could be his last game for the Bobcats.
“He’s a rock back there,” Poli said, “Going into every game, he’s a guy that you know is going to be the same person on a consistent basis.”
The Pioneers would score three more goals before the halftime whistle to lead the Bobcats 10-4.
Sacred Heart would pick up right where they left off in the second half, scoring five goals in the third quarter. Brodnax would score his second and third goals of the game and Ryan Rooner would also finish off a hat trick.
The Bobcats would score five goals in the fourth quarter, but it would prove too little, too late. Sacred Heart would finish off the win and move on to Saturday’s MAAC Championship.
Michael Moreschi led the Pioneers with six points on two goals and four assists. Pazienza finished the game with 10 saves.
Sacred Heart will take on the Siena Saints for a berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bobcats finished the season with an overall record of 3-12 and a conference record of 2-6.
“Summer is the time to make a big leap, to make changes,” Poli said, “It’s hard to make changes in-season so hopefully they have the focus now.”
