SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Feb. 17, 2018) – Despite a team-high two goals from junior Bobby Chillianis (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage), the No. 13 Mercy College men's lacrosse team opened their 2018 season with a 12-3 setback to No. 2 Le Moyne College on Saturday afternoon at Ted Grant Field.
The Mavericks (0-1) drop their season opener for the first time since 2012, while the Dolphins (1-0) open their season with a win.
Chillianis led Mercy with two goals and added two ground balls. Junior Erik Badger (Fayetteville, N.Y./Onondaga CC) also scored in his first game as a Maverick. Sophomore Tommy McPartland (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) had a team-high five ground balls and sophomore Antonio Rey (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) went 8-17 on faceoffs. Junior goalie Ryan Gibbons (Seaford, N.Y./Dowling College) played the full 60 minutes in goal and made nine saves to take the loss.
Le Moyne was led by Justin Kesselring who had a game-high five points on four goals and an assist. Goalie Jack Sweeney made 16 saves to earn the win.
The Mavericks faced a tall task in taking on a Dolphins squad that made the NCAA Tournament last year and has won five national championships since 2004. However, Mercy got on the board first as Badger opened the scoring at the 13:53 mark of the first quarter to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. It remained 1-0 until there was just under seven minutes left in the quarter when Sean Emerson scored off an assist from Kesselring to knot the score up at 1-1.
Mercy won the ensuing faceoff and Chillianis scored just over a minute later off an assist from junior Ryan MacSpadyen (Toronto, Ontario/Seneca College) to put the Mavericks back in front, 2-1. Le Moyne closed the period out with two straight goals to take a 3-2 lead after one quarter of play.
The contest remained 3-2 until the 6:31 mark of the second quarter when Jake Lewis scored a man-up goal to give the Dolphins a two-goal lead, 4-2. Le Moyne tacked on another goal with just over five minutes left in the half to build a 5-2 advantage. Chillianis closed the half out with his second goal of the game at the 1:30 mark to put the Mavericks within striking distance at halftime.
The Dolphins began the third quarter with a goal off the opening faceoff to take a 6-3 lead and would score four goals in the quarter to take a 9-3 lead. Le Moyne capped off the game with three more goals in the fourth quarter and Sweeney made 11 saves in the second half to keep the Mavericks off the scoreboard.
Le Moyne held a 45-33 edge in shots, a 28-24 advantage in ground balls and won 10-of-19 faceoffs.
Head Coach Jordan Levine and the Mavericks resume action on Tuesday, February 20th when they host Georgian Court University in their home opener at 3 p.m.
