DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Despite a game-high-tying three goals from senior Devon Duchnowski (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place), the No. 2 seeded Mercy University Men's Lacrosse Team dropped a hard-fought 9-8 overtime decision to No. 3 seeded Frostburg State University in an ECC Men's Lacrosse Championship Semifinal on Wednesday afternoon at Mercy Field.
The Mavericks (9-6) fall to the Bobcats (11-6) for the second time this season. Frostburg State advances to Saturday's Final and will play the winner of Molloy/Roberts Wesleyan.
The game began with Mercy taking control early, winning the initial faceoff. Sophomore Michael Mitrano's (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton) ground ball pickup set the tone for the Mavericks' aggressive play. Despite an early goal by Frostburg State's Keegan Green, Mercy responded quickly with junior Christopher Bergersen (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) finding the back of the net to level the score.
Maintaining momentum, the Mavericks pulled ahead with a goal by senior Jack Agres (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale), assisted by junior Jake Norton (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale). Duchnowski extended the lead with another successful shot, bringing Mercy to a 3-1 advantage. Frostburg State managed to cut the deficit with a goal by Henry Sykes, but Mercy's defense, led by junior Cameron Dorfman's (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) saves, held firm as the quarter closed with Mercy leading 3-2.
Mercy began the second quarter with a strong performance, as freshman Dean Kott (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) found the net at 14:00 with assistance from Bergersen. This early goal set the tone for the Mavericks, and they continued to apply pressure. Later, Duchnowski scored, assisted by Agres, to further extend Mercy's lead to 5-2 at 6:48. Despite a response from Frostburg State with a goal by Hayden Celio, Mercy maintained control through effective faceoff wins by Mitrano.
The quarter concluded with Mercy holding a 5-3 lead, showcasing their ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities while maintaining defensive resilience.
Mercy opened the third quarter with an offensive push, highlighted by sophomore Cole Hunsberger (Waterloo, Ontario/Grand River Collegiate Institute) scoring with an assist from senior Matthew Magyar (Floral Park, N.Y./Wingate University) at 12:37, making it 6-3. This goal allowed the Mavericks to maintain their lead despite a series of turnovers from both teams.
Frostburg State responded with back-to-back goals by Sykes, narrowing the gap to 6-5 at 6:08. Mercy countered with Magyar finding the net again at 5:06, assisted by Hunsberger, giving the Mavericks a 7-5 lead.
Frostburg State managed to score once more through Luke Roach, but Mercy's defense, led by Dorfman's key saves, held strong. The quarter ended with Mercy leading 7–6.
The fourth quarter began with Frostburg State gaining possession off the faceoff but quickly losing it due to a turnover caused by senior Sean Higgins (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus). The Mavericks successfully cleared the ball multiple times, maintaining pressure but were unable to capitalize on early shot attempts.
Midway through the quarter, Frostburg State scored to even the score at 7-7. Mercy responded with a crucial goal by Duchnowski, assisted by Hunsberger, to regain the lead at 8-7 with 3:44 left in regulation. The game remained tense, with both teams exchanging possessions and shots.
In the final minutes, Mercy's offensive efforts were halted by a turnover, and Frostburg State took advantage, scoring with only seven seconds left to tie the game. The quarter closed with the score knotted at 8-8, reflecting a tightly contested match.
Mercy began the overtime with momentum by winning the faceoff through Mitrano. However, the period saw turnovers that allowed Frostburg State to control possession. Despite a save by Dorfman at 1:40, Mercy could not capitalize offensively.
Frostburg State maintained pressure, culminating in a goal by Tyrin Long with just one second remaining in the period. This late score resulted in Frostburg State earning the 9-8 win.
Mercy was led by Duchnowski who recorded a game-high-tying three goals. Hunsberger had three points on a goal and two assists, recording his 100th career point. Bergersen, Agres, and Magyar each had a goal and an assist and Kott added a goal. Norton had an assist and nine ground balls and Higgins and senior Michael Corbo (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage) each had a team-high three caused turnovers. Mitrano went 12-of-20 on faceoffs with seven ground balls and Dorfman made a game-high 14 saves to take the loss. Dorfman recorded his 400th career save, becoming the fourth goalie in program history to record 400 saves.
Frostburg State was led by Sykes who had a game-high-tying three goals and by Ryder Walter who had a game-high six caused turnovers. Jack Smith made nine saves to earn the win.
Frostburg State held a 39-35 edge in shots, Mercy held a 41-28 edge in ground balls and Mercy went 12-of-21 on faceoffs.
