DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. (Feb. 23, 2025) – Despite five Mavericks scoring, the No. 5/12 Mercy University men's lacrosse team dropped an 11-5 decision to No. 10/14 Bentley University on Sunday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (2-1) suffer their first loss of the season and fall to the Falcons (1-0) for the first time in five all-time meetings.
Mercy was led by junior AJ Barone (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) who had a team-high-tying two points on a goal and an assist. Graduate students Aidan Babnik (Carmel, N.Y./LIU) and Jimmy Osorio (Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Newberry College), junior Devon Duchnowski (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) and freshman Cole Hunsberger (Waterloo, Ontario/Grand River Collegiate Institute) also scored. Sophomore Jake Norton (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) had a career-high two assists. Freshman Gavin Lamere (Plainview, N.Y./Herricks) had a game-high four caused turnovers with four ground balls and junior Sean Higgins (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) and senior Owen Stephenson (Glen Rock, N.J./UDC) each had two caused turnovers. Junior Kenneth Summit (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Limestone University) went 9-of-17 on faceoffs with a team-high five ground balls. Sophomore Cameron Dorfman (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) made a season-high 12 saves to take the loss.
Bentley was led by Hunter Smith who had a game-high six goals. Jackson Tinsley made a game-high 16 saves to earn the win.
The game was scoreless until the 9:06 mark of the first quarter when Smith scored his first goal to give Bentley a 1-0 lead. An Osorio goal from Norton tied the game at 1-1 with 4:46 left in the opening quarter. The Falcons closed the quarter with three straight goals to take a 4-1 lead after the first quarter.
Back-to-back goals from Smith to open the second quarter gave Bentley a 6-1 lead with 2:01 left in the half. Goals from Babnik and Barone to close the half, cut the Falcons lead to three, 6-3, at halftime.
Goals from Smith and Will Adams gave Bentley an 8-3 lead with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter. Hunsberger scored at the 4:29 mark following a Falcon turnover to make it 8-4. Smith later made it 9-4 before Duchnowski found the back of the net, off a Barone assist, to make it 9-5 with 1:03 left in the quarter. Bentley headed into the fourth quarter up, 9-5.
Goals from Thomas Hirsh and David Gagnon to start the fourth quarter gave the Falcons an 11-5 lead with 5:12 left. Bentley held Mercy scoreless for the remainder of the game to earn the 11-5 win.
Bentley held a 42-31 edge in shots, Mercy held a 32-30 edge in ground balls and Mercy went 9-of-19 on faceoffs.
Head Coach Ryan MacSpadyen and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, March 1st when they host Adelphi at 2 p.m.
