MACON, Ga. – Marist men's lacrosse opened its 2026 campaign on Saturday afternoon, falling to Mercer, 13-9, at Five Star Stadium. The Red Foxes move to 0-1 on the season with the loss, while the Bears improve to 2-0 with the victory.
Attackman Sean Mullan led the Red Foxes with a hat trick, scoring three goals on a team-high 11 shots. Brady Dolan and Steven Cain each added two goals, while Collin Patrick and Jayce Konowitz also found the also found the back of the net. Konowitz and Cain each recorded a goal and an assist, and Josh Smith dished out two assists to pace the Marist offense.
Marist struck first just over a minute into the contest when Mullan opened the scoring at the 13:58 mark of the first quarter. The teams traded goals early, with Dolan finishing off a feed from Smith to tie the game at 2-2 midway through the opening frame. Mercer closed the first quarter on a 3-0 run to take a 5-2 advantage.
The Red Foxes battled back in the second quarter, as Mullan scored twice in the period and Patrick converted off an assist from Cain to cut the deficit to one at 4-5. However, the Bears responded with three of the final four goals of the half to take an 8-5 lead into the break,
Marist continued to compete in the third quarter. Dolan capitalized on a quick response goal just seconds after a Mercer tally, and Konowitz and Cain each scored to keep the Red Foxes within striking distance at 10-8. Mercer used a late 3-0 surge in the third to build a four-goal cushion heading into the final period.
Cain netted his second goal of the afternoon early in the fourth to bring Marist within three, but the Bears added an insurance goal midway through the quarter to secure the 13-9 final.
Marist held a 16-10 edge in faceoffs, led by Smith's 15 wins at the X, and went 13-for-18 on clears. Both teams recorded 15 turnovers, while Mercer held a slight 24-22 advantage in ground balls.
The Red Foxes will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 17, when Marist travels to take on Yale. Opening faceoff in New Haven is set for 7 PM.
