STAFF REPORTS
news@allwnynews.com
BUFFALO – Canisius used a balanced offense attack and a solid defensive effort to defeat Quinnipiac, 10-6, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s lacrosse action Friday at the Demske Sports Complex.
Senior Lewis Vaccaro and junior Connor Kearnan tallied two goals each for the Griffs (6-8, 4-2 MAAC) while six players – senior Jeff Edwards, juniors Steven Coss and Eric Gold, sophomores Mario Caito and Logan Monroe and freshman Carter Stefaniak – all chipped in one goal each.
Junior Liam Ganzhorn made eight saves in goal for Canisius.
Foster Cuomo finished with six points on three goals and three assists to pace the Bobcats (2-9, 1-5 MAAC). Tyler DeVito, Mike Fletcher and Tyler Mackay also scored for Quinnipiac. Bobcats goaltender Jack Brust posted a season-high 16 saves in his final collegiate contest.
The teams traded goals in a back-and-forth first quarter before the Griffs used goals from Monroe, Gold and Kearnan during the second frame to take a 6-3 lead into the halftime break.
It would remain a three-goal contest during the opening stages of the third until the Quinnipiac offense got things moving in the later part of the frame to set up a dramatic final frame. The Bobcats took advantage of goals from DeVito, Mackay and Fletcher over the final four minutes of the quarter to counter a tally from Caito and make it a 7-6 contest.
It would remain a one-goal game for a majority of the fourth before Vaccaro provided some breathing room, stretching the Canisius lead to 8-6 with a laser that found the upper right-hand corner of the net with 2:49 remaining.
Kearnan and Vaccaro tacked on insurance markers during the final 70 seconds of regulation to determine the four-goal margin of victory.
Canisius opens the 2017 MAAC Men’s Lacrosse Tournament on May 5 with a semifinal round contest. The Griffs can be either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed for the four-team event to be held at Marist’s Tenney Stadium in Poughkeepsie. Canisius’ seed and opponent will be determined at the conclusion of the MAAC regular season schedule on Saturday.
