On Saturday, Apr. 4, the seventh-ranked LIU Post men’s lacrosse team suffered a 10-9 defeat at the hands of fifth-ranked Merrimack in a non-conference showdown at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium in Brookville.
Nodded up at three goals apiece in the final 60 seconds of the opening quarter, junior attackman Ryan Slane scored with 53 ticks remaining to give the Pioneers a one-goal edge at the end of the period. In the second quarter, LIU Post clipped three consecutive tallies to carry a 7-3 cushion into halftime.
Senior attackman Chris Caiazza, senior midfielder Connor Drost, and junior midfielder Anthony Berardis all found the back of the net on unassisted efforts. Berardis and Caiazza each scored within a 90 second span.
The hosts dominated their opposition in the first half, outshooting Merrimack by a four-to-one count (28-7). Led by senior defenseman Dan Jeannotte, the Pioneers won 11-of-12 face-offs.
In the third quarter, the duo of Berardis and Caiazza widened the advantage for LIU Post. Caiazza put back a Drost rebound to make it a 9-3 game at the 5:50 mark.
However, the guests took complete control from that point on. Over the final 20 minutes, the Warriors recorded seven unanswered scores, three via sophomore attacker Tucker Schwarz, including the game-winner.
Caiazza led the Pioneers with three goals for the day. Drost tacked on two goals and an assist for a three-point outing, while Berardis had two goals to his credit.
Senior defender Matt Scalera scooped up three ground balls while Jeanotte totaled nine ground balls in In addition to winning 13-of-19 draws. Junior goalie Adam Winne made six saves between the pipes for the hosts.
Head LIU Post men’s lacrosse coach John Jez and the Pioneers are back in action on Saturday, Apr. 11, when they take on East Coast Conference rival and No. 4 ranked New York Institute of Technology on Senior Day at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium. Opening faceoff is set for 12 p.m.
This article was originally published in the Pioneer, the award-winning student newspaper of LIU Post, www.liupostpioneer.com, and is republished here by Blank Slate Media with the permission of the Pioneer.
