Men's Lacrosse Falls to Local Rival Pace on Last-Minute Goal
Men's Lacrosse Falls to Local Rival Pace on
Last-Minute Goal
The Mercy College men's lacrosse team dropped a difficult
4-3 decision to Pace University today at Pleasantville High School,
giving up the game-winner with less than 30 seconds to play. Mercy
falls to 1-1 on the year, while Pace is now 1-0.
With the score tied at three, Pace's Nick Ospina scored
his third goal of the game to give the Setters the 4-3 win. Ospina
had just tied the score 1:25 prior. 
On a cold day in Pleasantville, both teams turned the ball over
more than 20 times apiece. Defense was at a premium as well, with
Mercy's goalie T.J.
DiCarlo (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) making 15
saves, while his Pace counterpart Sean Kearney made seven stops.
For the second time in as many games, Mercy's Joe
Pulido (Copaigue, N.Y./Copaigue) won the opening
faceoff, giving the Mavs the first possession. Play flowed
back-and-forth, with both teams turning the ball over, until
Pace's Thomas Earl scored, giving the Setters an early 1-0
lead. Late in the first quarter, Mercy took advantage of a long
possession, finally knotting the score on an Alex
Martello (Montville, N.J./Montville) unassisted goal.
To open the second half, Mercy was on the verge of taking the
lead for the first time in the game, but Mike
Marzocca (North Babylon, N.Y./North Babylon) hit the
post. No one would score in the stanza, and the game went into the
half tied at one goal apiece.
In the third, Sean
Wallin (Mountain Lakes, N.J./Mountain Lakes) scored
that elusive second goal for Mercy at the 12:45 mark. Pace
retaliated quickly, winning the ensuing faceoff and scoring less
than a minute later to again knot the score.
Physical play continued, with no more goals scored in the third
quarter.
Heading into the final fifteen minutes with the score tied, the
game was up for grabs. Marzocca once again put the Mavs up, with an
unassisted goal with 8:01 to play. Both teams had scoring
opportunities, but neither could light the lamp, until
Ospina's heroics in the game's waning moments.
On the day, Marzocca, Wallin and Martello had one goal apiece,
while John
Fitzpatrick (Yorktown, N.Y./Lakeland) had an assist on
the Wallin goal. Mercy was flagged for five penalties for 4:00, but
successfully held Pace scoreless.
Mercy will next travel to C.W. Post on Sunday for a 1:00 p.m.
contest. The Pioneers are 2-0 on the season, and will face Seton
Hill on Saturday. C.W. Post is the #1 ranked team in the country in
the latest USILA poll, garnering eight of the nine first place
votes.
