Links: Box Score
WORCESTER, Mass. – A 5-0 run in the middle of the game lifted the Merrimack College men's lacrosse team to an 11-9 win over Holy Cross Sunday afternoon at Kuzniewski Field.
The Warriors built a two-goal lead midway into the second quarter, then exploded for five in a row that spanned from the 4:18 mark of the second to midway into the third. Holy Cross narrowed the margin in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to find the equalizer.
Christian Thomas had the team-high in points with four on three goals and an assist and
Sean Black found the back of the net twice.
Trace Hogan added a pair of assists to continue the strong start to his collegiate career.
Henry Vogt kept rolling in the Merrimack cage with his second victory in a row thanks to nine saves.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 11, Holy Cross 9
Records: Merrimack (2-2, 0-0 NEC) | Holy Cross (0-4, 0-0 Patriot)
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack ran out to a quick lead just 54 seconds into the game when Tommy Rooney gathered a shot that went wide, then fed it in front to Thomas for a quick finish.
- Tommy Rooney kept the momentum rolling four and a half minutes later with a bomb from range.
- Holy Cross stopped the bleeding with 7:48 to play in the first, but the Warriors got it right back.
- With 4:33 to go in the quarter, Black dodged through a trio of defenders, then sent a bounce shot to the far side to make it 3-1.
- Grant Laman netted his first of the season a couple minutes later to mark Merrimack's biggest lead of the day at 4-1.
- The Crusaders added one with 1:53 to go in the first, but then Merrimack owned the second quarter.
- Thomas found his second of the day with 10:21 to go, but Holy Cross answered back a minute later to make it 5-3.
- Vogt and the Warrior defense turned away the Crusaders for nearly a quarter and a half after that to open the floodgates on the opposite side of the field.
- Jack Rooney closed the first half strong when he scored twice in a row in the span of 1:33 to push the margin to 7-3 after half an hour of play.
- The halftime break proved beneficial to the visitors from North Andover, as Hogan fed Thomas in the far alley just 1:20 into the second half for the graduate student's hat trick goal.
- Hogan got on the stat sheet again four minutes later when he found Black to push the lead to six with 9:33 to play.
- The 5-0 run was completed two minutes afterwards when Thomas sent a pass to Drew Hailey in the middle of the field, then he ripped one home for his first on the campaign.
- Holy Cross crept back into the game after it ended the run, as the Crusaders had a 4-0 run of their own to make it 10-7 into the latter stages of the fourth.
- During crunch time, Jack Rooney came through. With just over three minutes remaining, he ran around a defender from behind the net, then picked the far corner for his third of the afternoon.
- The hosts had a quick burst in the closing minute, but Christian Glover picked up a ground ball off a Karl Sutter faceoff win with 47 seconds to play to salt the game away.
Notes and Numbers
- Thomas led the team with four ground balls.
- Glover and Thomas tied for the team-high in caused turnovers with two apiece.
- Jack Rooney's nine shots and seven shots on goal both led the team.
- Thomas continues to lead the team with 12 points on eight goals and four helpers for the year.
- Sutter had a strong day at the X with eight wins on 13 opportunities.
- Shots: 42-40 Holy Cross (25-18 SOG Merrimack)
- Faceoffs: 12-10 Merrimack // Ground Balls: 26-25 Holy Cross
- Turnovers (CT): 23-21 Holy Cross (10-9 Holy Cross) // Clears: Merrimack: 20-23 // Holy Cross: 17-18
Up Next
Merrimack plays its home opener Mar. 5 when it welcomes Merrimack Valley rival, UMass Lowell, to Duane Stadium. Faceoff is set for 5:00 pm.
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