The men’s lacrosse team (6-6 overall, 2-5 Patriot League) secured a decisive 14-9 victory over out-of-conference opponent Le Moyne College (9-8 overall) last Friday evening at Fisher Stadium.
The Leopards jumped into the lead quickly, securing a two-goal advantage within the first two minutes thanks to junior attacker Riley Sullivan and senior attacker and team captain Charlie Cunniffe.
Lafayette ended the first quarter with a 3-1 lead after senior attacker John Mathes scored the team’s third goal. Despite Le Moyne’s efforts to narrow the gap early in the second quarter, the Leopards kept their composure, heading into halftime with a 5-3 advantage.
The Maroon and White offense came out on fire in the second half, scoring four straight goals out of the locker room. All four goals were scored by seniors playing in their second to last game ever in a Lafayette uniform. Attacker Peter Lehman got the scoring barrage started, followed not even a minute later by goals from midfielders Connor Freeman and Mathes. Cunniffe then scored again to put the game on ice.
Le Moyne finally responded with two goals of its own before Lafayette stole the momentum right back with another goal from Mathes and two more goals from Sargent. One of Sargent’s goals was a behind-the-back laser which ended up in the number seven spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 plays of the day.
Sargent claimed his fourth goal early in the final quarter, but Le Moyne responded with three straight goals to narrow the gap to 13-8. However, Lafayette maintained control thanks to Cunniffe, who completed his hat trick with a 60-yard snipe.
Sargent did not respond to request for comment.
“We were happy with the result as we played a complete game and now are 6-6 on the season with the opportunity to have a winning season on Friday,” Cunniffe said.
With their sights set on the upcoming game against Lehigh (7-6 overall, 5-2 Patriot League) the Leopards will look to close their season on a high note.
“Some of the highlights of the season were definitely the win against BU, also how we have grown closer as a team after losing some tough games and really finding our identity later on in the season,” Cunniffe said. “I’m proud of how we have stuck together and grown.”
The Leopards return for a Senior Day face-off against rival Lehigh at Fisher Stadium today at 7:30 p.m. With a victory on senior day, Lafayette has a chance to have its first season with a winning record since 2010.
“For the seniors, we are definitely looking forward to having one last chance to play our rival and leave it all on the field for our last game in a Lafayette uniform,” Cunniffe said.
An additional member of the men’s lacrosse team did not respond to request for comment.
