ERIE, Pa. (Apr. 1, 2023) – Despite a team-high three goals from graduate student Jack Gibbons (North Bellmore, N.Y./Mepham) and senior TJ Heyder (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue), the No. 2/4 Mercy College men's lacrosse team dropped a 16-10 decision to No. 6/7 Mercyhurst University on Saturday afternoon at Saxon Field.
The Mavericks (8-2) see their six-game winning streak come to an end fall to 1-5 all-time against the Lakers (7-1).
Heyder and Gibbons both had three goals and senior Brady Kearnan (Courtice, Ontario/Newberry College) had a team-high four points on one goal and a game-high-tying three assists. Graduate student Thomas Connors (Bellmore, N.Y./DeSales University) had two goals and a team-high two caused turnovers. Junior Andrew Calabria (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) also scored and junior Greg Gibbons (North Bellmore, N.Y./Mepham) and graduate student Jack Kipnes (Wantagh, N.Y./MacArthur) both had an assist. Senior Justin Gerdvil (East Northport, N.Y./Northport) had a team-high seven ground balls with one caused turnover and graduate student Tommy Umano (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) made 11 saves to take the loss. Umano recorded his 400th career save in the game and now has 403 saves for his career. He becomes the third Maverick in program history to record 400 saves.
Mercyhurst was led by Myles Hamm who had a game-high five goals. Brett Olney made a game-high 14 saves to earn the win.
Back-to-back goals from Calabria and Heyder gave the Mavericks a 2-0 lead with 10:16 left in the first quarter. Hamm scored two consecutive man-up goals to tie the game at 2-2 at the 9:21 mark. Jack Gibbons, Connors and Kearnan rattled off three straight goals to give Mercy a 5-2 lead with 4:51 remaining in the quarter. Shawn Doran made it 5-3 after winning the faceoff. Heyder ended the quarter with two unanswered goals to give Mercy a 7-3 lead after the first quarter.
Mercyhurst scored the first three goals of the second quarter to cut the Mavericks lead to one, 7-6, with 5:54 left in the half. Jack Gibbons found the back of the net at the 4:32 mark, off an assist from Kearnan, to put Mercy up two, 8-6. Hamm scored the final goal of the half with 10 seconds on the clock to cut the Mavericks lead to one, 8-7, at halftime.
A Colin Tardif goal with 11:46 on the clock in the third quarter tied the game at 8-8. Jack Gibbons third goal of the game at the 11:18 mark gave the lead back to Mercy at 9-8. Ethan Landymore and Nicholas Mabe scored consecutive goals to give the Lakers their first lead of the game, 10-9, with five minutes remaining in the quarter. Connors netted the final goal of the quarter with less than a minute to play to tie the game at 10-10 after three quarters.
Quinn Simonson scored the first two goals of the fourth quarter to give the hosts a 12-10 lead with 11:59 left. Mercyhurst would outscore Mercy 6-0 in the fourth quarter to pull away for the 16-10 win. Olney made four saves in the quarter and the Lakers won all seven faceoffs in the quarter.
Mercyhurst held a 46-41 edge in shots, a 47-35 edge in ground balls and went 20-of-30 on faceoffs.
Head Coach Ryan MacSpadyen and the Mavericks resume action on Friday, April 7th when they host Frostburg State at 1 p.m.
