Monmouth’s Men’s Lacrosse won their third game in a row for the first time in two years against NJIT on Wednesday (3/05) at Kessler Stadium.
Monmouth took the lead within the first few minutes of the game thanks to junior attack Ty Caffarelli, who ended up leading the team with four goals. Sophomore attack Brendan Dundas and junior attack Connor Gorman helped set the tone of the game which quickly led to a 6-0 lead in the first quarter before NJIT scored two goals. In the second quarter, both teams scored, ending the first half with a score of 10-4. The two goals made by the Highlanders in this quarter were the last time they scored in the entire game.
In the second half, Monmouth’s defense found their rhythm and shut out NJIT’s offense. After eight unanswered goals by the Hawks, Monmouth found a victory with a final score of 18-4. In the end, 10 Monmouth players were able to reach the back of the net.
The game that started their losing streak was against VMI on Saturday (3/08). The Hawks controlled the game for three quarters, having a 10-5 lead but a late VMI push of six unanswered goals ended the game with a close 11-10.
The following game was held in Philadelphia, PA at Vidas Field against Drexel a week later (3/15) for the conference opener. Monmouth took a 2-1 lead in the first quarter thanks to Gorman and Caffarelli. At halftime, Drexel’s six-goal streak gave the Dragons the lead.
The Hawks held on, leading 10-8 as they began the fourth quarter. Caffarelli scored his fifth goal and Dundas scored his third, however, this was not enough to come out on top. Although the final score was 13-10, Monmouth outshot Drexel 41-34 and converted 3-of-3 extra-man opportunities in the game.
The most recent game occurred back home in West Long Branch on Saturday (3/22) against Hofstra. The Hawks’ Senior Day ended with a score of 15-9.
Hofstra took control of the game in the second quarter, outsourcing the Hawks 5-1 to complete a 9-3 halftime lead. Dundas made a big impact in the second quarter, completing a hat trick and four assists. Graduate student and goalie Tommy Heller made nine saves, but ultimately could not save the game.
The Hawks next game will be against Hampton on Saturday, Mar. 29, at 11:00 a.m. as they partake in another conference match.
