#3 Men's Lacrosse Holds Off Bentley, 12-8
Links: Box Score
WALTHAM, Mass. – After building itself a nine-goal lead, the third-ranked Merrimack College men's lacrosse team held off a rally by host Bentley to win its sixth straight game, 12-8, against Bentley on Saturday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 12, Bentley 8
Records: #3 Merrimack (11-1, 9-1 NE-10) | Bentley (6-5, 5-4 NE-10)
Location: Bentley Turf Field | Waltham, Mass.
NE-10 Championship Outlook
The top-six teams in the league standings qualify to the NE-10 Championship, with the top-two teams receiving a bye. Conference records shown.
1. Le Moyne (10-0) H2H vs. MC, AU
2. Merrimack (9-1) H2H vs. AU
3. Adelphi (9-2)
4. Southern N.H. (7-3)
5. Pace (6-4)
6. Saint Anselm (5-4)
7. Bentley (5-4)
How It Happened
Eyeing its sixth straight victory, Merrimack took to the turf in Waltham in a makeup game that was originally scheduled for April 6 but had been postponed due to winter weather earlier in the month.
Merrimack dominated the first half, roaring out to an 8-1 lead after three different Warriors scored in the first frame before five unique offensive representatives outscored the Falcons by a 5-1 margin in the second quarter to stake the visitors an 8-1 edge after 30 minutes.
Merrimack stretched its lead to as much as nine goals (10-1) early in the third before Bentley mounted a mini-rally that stretched over the course of the second half.
The Falcons scored the final two goals in the third quarter to get to within seven and then the first two goals of the final frame to cut the deficit to five (10-5). A goal from the Warriors interrupted the rally, but Bentley got two more goals to make it a four-goal game (11-7) with 6:22 left, but that was the closest the hosts would get as Merrimack got one last goal before the final horn sounded.
Notes and Numbers
- Eight different players found the back of the net for Merrimack on Saturday to highlight a balanced offensive display
- One game after reaching the century mark for his career, junior Max Allen (West Caldwell, N.J.) once again led the Warriors with a hat trick – his ninth of the season
- Freshman Michael O'Connell (Sudbury, Mass.) and sophomore Eric Coburn (Londonderry, N.H.) each tallied two goals apiece, while senior Ryan Poirier (Warwick, R.I.) tied the team-high in scoring with three points (1g, 2a)
- Other multi-goal scorers featured freshman Brendan Donnelly (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.), who finished with two points (1g, 1a)
- Senior Scott Corcoran (Haverhill, Mass.) was masterful on defense, causing a game-high three turnovers while scooping up a game-best five ground balls
- EMO: Merrimack (0-5) // BEN (0-2)
- SOG: Merrimack – 26 // BEN – 15
- Ground Balls: Merrimack – 27 // BEN – 28
- Clears: Merrimack (23-for-24) // BEN (13-for-17)
Up Next
Merrimack will conclude its three-game road trip when it meets the current No. 12 team in the country, Dowling, next Thursday (April 28) at Ridgefield (Conn.) High School's Tiger Hollow Stadium. The neutral-site matchup begins at 7 p.m.
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