The men’s lacrosse team (4-5 overall, 1-4 Patriot League) faltered in recent matchups against Loyola University Maryland (4-6 overall, 2-2 Patriot League) and Bucknell University (3-7 overall, 2-3 Patriot League). Despite strong individual performances, the Leopards struggled to contain their opponents’ offenses, ultimately losing 18-10 to the Greyhounds and 17-8 to the Bison.
“We didn’t perform as well as we wanted to in both the Loyola and Bucknell games,” senior attacker and captain Charlie Cunniffe said.
Cunniffe and senior attacker John Mathes lead the team in goals scored this season at 22.
Cunniffe led the Leopards against Loyola on March 23, contributing three goals and three assists. Senior attacker Kalman Kraham also made significant contributions, scoring two goals and making an assist to reach the 100 career points milestone. However, despite their efforts, the match resulted in an 18-10 loss at Fisher Stadium.
The game started with promise for Lafayette, as Kraham opened the scoring, but Loyola quickly established control, taking a 4-1 lead in the first quarter. Lafayette fought back, briefly taking a 7-6 lead in the second quarter, but Loyola followed up with a scoring spree to enter halftime with an 11-8 advantage. Loyola pulled away in the second half, securing the victory.
In the Leopards’ matchup against Bucknell on Saturday, Mathes led Lafayette’s offense with four goals and an assist. Mathes displayed his scoring ability throughout the game, but the Leopards ultimately fell 17-8.
Bucknell asserted dominance from the start, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Mathes rallied Lafayette with a goal, but Bucknell maintained control, entering halftime with a 7-3 lead. Despite Lafayette’s efforts to make a comeback, Bucknell extended its lead to 15-5 by the end of the third quarter. The Leopards fought hard in the final period but could not overcome Bucknell’s lead.
“I think the main takeaway from these games is that every team we play is talented, and we need to come together as a team and stick together when things don’t go our way,” Cunniffe said.
Looking ahead, Lafayette aims to regroup and bounce back from these defeats. The Leopards return for an Alumni Day faceoff against The Naval Academy (6-4 overall, 3-1 Patriot League) at home on Saturday at noon.
“We play better when everyone counts us out, so we are looking forward to going out and competing on Saturday,” Cunniffe said.