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Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's lacrosse team hung around all game long with NEC-leading Bryant Saturday afternoon at Duane Stadium and a save at the buzzer sealed an 11-10 win for the Bulldogs.
In the closing 30 seconds of the game, Merrimack forced a turnover in the defending end. Down by a goal, goalkeeper
Henry Vogt led the charge into the attacking end of the field and
Jack Barron eventually got a shot off with one second to play that was stopped.
Tommy Rooney and
Max Morrill stole the show for the Warriors offensively, as Rooney tallied four, including a second half hat trick, and Morrill netted three. Vogt was stellar once again in the cage for Merrimack, as he turned aside 11 shots on the afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Bryant 11,
Merrimack 10
Records: Merrimack (2-4, 1-3 NEC) | Bryant (5-1, 3-0 NEC)
Rapid Recap
- The back-and-forth affair started with the Warriors in front, as Tommy Rooney beat a defender to the left of the goal, then barged his way in to give Merrimack the lead just over four minutes in.
- Bryant tied the game not long after, then took its first lead of the afternoon with 8:25 to play in the quarter.
- Morrill started his exceptional game at the 4:06 mark when he shed a defender and fired home a bounce shot from 10 yards out. The Bulldogs had the last laugh in the opening 15 minutes, as they retook the advantage with just under two minutes to play.
- Another quick tally to open the second extended the Bryant lead, but Merrimack responded with a great stretch of play in the next 10 minutes. Morrill got it started with 10:59 to play when he went one-on-one with a defender and ripped home a left-handed shot from 15 yards.
- The Warriors drew level four minutes later thanks to Drew Hailey, as he created space on the near side and finished to the top of the net. Merrimack completed the 3-0 run and regained the lead with 3:56 to play when Christian Thomas threaded the needle and set up classmate, Sean Black, through the defense for the goal.
- Bryant had a strong close to the first half and tallied two in the closing 3:13 to take a one-goal edge into the break.
- A 2-0 run to begin the third quarter from the Bulldogs put the Warriors in a hole at 8-5, but the hosts had plenty of pushback. Merrimack shut down Bryant for the final 14:15 of the quarter and it was enough to claw back in the game and retake the lead.
- Tommy Rooney brought the deficit down to two at 12:46 when he had a crease dive finish to the far side of the net.
- Three minutes later, the deficit was brought to just one on the man up. Jack Rooney faked a long range shot, then flipped a pass in front to Aiden Glover, who deposited his first of the day.
- The comeback was completed with 6:47 to play when Morrill got his third of the day with another deep rip with the left hand.
- Just a minute passed before Merrimack regained the lead when Tommy Rooney took a pass behind the goal, then ran out to the far side and took a bounce shot that just grasped the top of the net.
- Merrimack closed the third with the 9-8 lead, but it was short lived, as the Bulldogs knotted the game just 15 seconds into the final quarter.
- The battle was on, as both teams had chances in the next eight minutes to take the advantage, but neither side could beat Vogt or Bryant netminder Luke Caracciolo.
- Bryant eventually netted the all-important next goal at the 6:16 mark, then added an insurance tally with 3:24 on the clock.
- The Warriors did not go away, as Tommy Rooney finished his fourth of the day in the final 90 seconds on an incredible individual effort that ended in a sharp-angled snipe.
- Bryant possessed the ball in the attacking end in the final minute, but the Merrimack defense forced them to cough it up before Barron's chance at the horn was turned aside.
Notes and Numbers
- Karl Sutter had a strong day with an 11-for-21 performance on faceoffs and he also led the Warriors in ground balls with six.
- Joseph Jorgenson led the team in caused turnovers with a single game career-high two and now has at least one in each of his last four games.
- Tommy Rooney took the team-lead in goals on the season with 15.
- Vogt has now made 10+ saves in two straight games and three out of his first five collegiate starts.
- Shots: 33-32 Bryant (23-22 MC SOG)
- EMO: Merrimack: 2-5 // Bryant: 2-2
- Faceoffs: 13-11 Bryant // Ground Balls: 30-28 Merrimack
- Turnovers (CT): 21-20 Merrimack (8-8) // Clears: Merrimack: 20-22 // Bryant: 19-21
Up Next
The Warriors stay home Apr. 3 to battle LIU at Duane Stadium. Face-off is slated for 1:00 pm.
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