POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – A balanced offensive effort and a decisive third-quarter surge lifted Marist men's lacrosse to a 13-11 win over Air Force on Saturday afternoon.
The Red Foxes improved to 2-2 on the season behind a six-point performance from
Sean Mullan and a four-goal outing by
Collin Patrick, as Marist controlled the pace for much of the contest before holding off a late push by the Falcons.
Marist came out aggressive, firing 15 shots in the opening quarter and jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals from Peter Murray and Patrick. Air Force answered late in the frame, but the Red Foxes carried a 2-1 advantage into the second.
The offense continued to click in the second quarter, with Mullan, Drew Anderson, and Brady Dolan all finding the back of the net. Marist outscored Air Force 3-1 in the period to take a 5-2 lead into halftime.
The game's turning point came in the third quarter. After Air Force briefly cut into the deficit, Marist responded with a dominant 5-3 frame. Goals from Patrick, Anderson, Dylan Rocchio, Murray, and Mullan fueled a 10-5 lead heading into the final quarter.
Air Force made things interesting in the fourth, scoring six times and trimming the deficit to two on multiple occasions. However, Marist answered each run, including back-to-back goals from Mullan and Patrick midway through the quarter to restore control. Patrick's fourth goal of the game with 31 seconds remaining helped seal the victory.
Mullan led all players with three goals and three assists, while Patrick added four goals and an assist. Murray (2g, 1a) and Anderson (2g) also contributed multi-goal efforts as Marist totaled 47 shots in the win.
Defensively, Richie Metzger made 15 saves in net to anchor the Red Foxes, who forced nine Air Force turnovers.
The Red Foxes will be back in action on Saturday, March 7, when Marist plays host to Mount St. Mary's inside Tenney Stadium.Â
