Last-Minute Goal Lifts #3 Men's Lacrosse Past Saint Anselm, 13-12, in Regular Season Finale
Links: Box Score // Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Freshman Brendan Donnelly (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y.) scored with just over 90 seconds to play to help the third-ranked Merrimack College men's lacrosse team stave off visiting Saint Anselm College in an eventual 13-12 victory on Senior Day, as the Warriors wrapped up the regular season with 13 wins – one shy of the school record of 14 overall wins.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 13, Saint Anselm 12
Records: #3 Merrimack (13-1, 10-1 NE-10) | Saint Anselm (8-5, 6-5 NE-10)
Location: Martone-Mejail Field | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
With the No. 2 seed in next week's NE-10 Championship and a first-round bye straight to the league tournament semifinals already wrapped up, Merrimack welcomed Saint Anselm to campus looking to close the regular season on a high note.
After honoring the 12 members of the Class of 2016 on senior Day, another quick start paved the way for a six-goal first quarter, as the Warriors scored four goals from four different in a five-minute span to set the tone early. Saint A's eventually cut that deficit in half, but back-to-back tallies late in the quarter gave the hosts a 6-2 lead after 15 minutes of play.
After a defensive start to the second quarter, Saint Anselm made it a three-goal game midway through the frame. The home side would answer with a three-goal spurt to take their largest lead at that point in the afternoon at 9-3, but the Hawks caught life at the end of the quarter, scoring three times to make it a 9-6 affair at halftime.
Both sides traded goals in the third quarter to set the stage for the wild finish, as the Warriors' lead stayed at three (11-8) heading to the fourth quarter.
Merrimack temporarily regained a four-goal lead after Donnelly tickled the twine for the second time on the day just 25 seconds into the period, but Saint Anselm started the comeback by answering that marker just over 30 seconds later.
Trailing by three, the Hawks capitalized on a man-up chance midway through the quarter to make it a 12-10 affair. Just about three minutes later, another unassisted marker got the visitors to within one. Finally, with just over 90 seconds left in regulation, Merrimack had a chance to go up by two but was stonewalled by Saint Anselm goalkeeper James O'Neill, spurring an odd-man rush the other way, and the Hawks scored in transition with 1:39 to play to tie the game at 12-all.
But sophomore Blake Boudreau (Amherst, N.H.) came up with the game's biggest faceoff win after senior captain Scott Corcoran (Haverhill, Mass.) swooped in from the wing to pick up the loose ball, allowing the Warrior offense time to set up.
Donnelly would break through with the biggest goal of his young career with 36 seconds on the clock, burying a feed from classmate Seamus Ford (Walpole, Mass.) for the game-winner.
The game was still up for grabs after Saint Anselm grabbed possession off the ensuing faceoff, but sophomore Sam Ventresca (Woburn, Mass.) made one last stop and the defense didn't allow another one to reach the net, as the Warriors held on for the victory.
Notes and Numbers
- Donnelly's best game as a Warrior featured his first career hat trick, as the rookie posted a career-high three markers in Saturday's win
- Senior Ryan Poirier (Warwick, R.I.) highlighted the offense for both sides with a career-high seven points (2g, 5a), becoming the first Warrior to dish at least five assists in a game in four seasons
- Other multi-goal scorers included Ford (2g, 2a), fellow freshman Michael O'Connell (Sudbury, Mass.), and junior Max Allen (West Caldwell, N.J.)
- Three different Warriors caused two turnovers, while Boudreau and junior Danny Loprete (Watertown, Mass.) combined to win 21-of-28 faceoffs (75.0%) to highlight a dominant effort on the X
- EMO: Merrimack (3-5) // STA (2-6)
- SOG: Merrimack – 29 // STA – 19
- Ground Balls: Merrimack – 43 // STA– 34
- Clears: Merrimack (11-for-13) // STA (20-for-25)
Up Next
After clinching the No. 2 seed in next week's NE-10 Championship a week ago, the Warriors will enjoy a six-day layoff after earning a first round bye in the league tournament. Merrimack will host either Adelphi or Saint Anselm in an NE-10 Semifinal matchup next Friday (May 6) at 4 p.m.
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