LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. — The No. 2 seed Marist men's lacrosse team is headed back to the biggest stage in the MAAC.
Powered by a dominant second-half surge, the Red Foxes defeated No. 3 Sacred Heart, 12-8, on Thursday afternoon at Hickey Field to punch their ticket to the MAAC Championship game for the first time since 2023 — setting up a rematch of that same title game against top-seeded and host Siena.
With the win, Marist (10-4) will now play for its fifth MAAC Championship on Saturday.
Marist's offense came alive after a back-and-forth opening half. Trailing 5-2 midway through the second quarter, the Red Foxes flipped the momentum with a four-goal run in the final 3:32 before halftime, capped by Sean Mullan's third goal of the frame with just eight seconds remaining to give Marist a 6-5 lead at the break.
Mullan led the charge with a game-high four goals, continuing his standout postseason performance. Collin Patrick orchestrated the offense with three assists and a goal, while Brady Dolan added two goals and an assist.
The Red Foxes carried that momentum into the third quarter and never looked back. Marist outscored Sacred Heart 4-0 in the period, building a commanding 10-5 advantage behind goals from Mullan, Simon Bowen, Patrick, and Jayce Konowitz.
Sacred Heart (11-4) attempted to rally early in the fourth, cutting the deficit to three, but Marist answered with back-to-back goals from Dolan and Steven Cain to put the game out of reach.
Richie Metzger made eight saves in goal to anchor the defensive effort, while the Red Foxes were perfect on clears (22-for-22), a key factor in maintaining possession throughout the contest.
Marist finished with eight different goal scorers in a balanced offensive attack, totaling 44 shots and 24 on goal.
Now, the Red Foxes turn their attention to a familiar foe. Saturday's championship matchup will mark a rematch of the 2023 MAAC title game, as Marist looks to dethrone Siena on its home field and capture the program's fifth conference championship.
Faceoff is set for Saturday at Hickey Field on ESPNU at noon.
