CANISIUS COLLEGE ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Detroit Mercy scored the final five goals of the game to erase a fourth-quarter deficit and defeat Canisius, 12-10, in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men’s lacrosse action Saturday at the Demske Sports Complex.
Seth Mendall tallied two goals and added three assists while Matthew Vangalen added three goals for the Titans (5-6, 3-1 MAAC). Brett Erskine pitched in two goals and an assist while Lucas Ducharme chipped in two tallies.
Senior Connor Kearnan notched three goals and added two assists for the Golden Griffins (5-5, 2-1 MAAC). Senior Steven Coss pitched in three goals and seniorRyan McKee added two.
Trailing 10-7 early in the fourth quarter, Vangalen tallied his second of the contest with 11:53 to play to trim the Detroit Mercy deficit to 10-8.
Ducharme and Patrick Walsh brought the Titans level just moments later, scoring 65 seconds apart to tie the game at 10-all.
Mendall notched the eventual game-winning goal with 5:15 remaining before Vangalen closed out the scoring with his third of the game exactly three minutes later to determine the final margin.
Earlier in the contest, Canisius trailed 1-0 until senior Keith Pravato scored with 5:11 remaining in the first quarter to tie the game at 1-1 and ignite a five-goal spurt that lasted into the opening minute of the second and gave the Griffs a 5-1 cushion.
Detroit Mercy responded to the Canisus run, rattling off four straight goals midway through the second frame to tie the game at 5-5.
Coss restored the Griffs lead with 1:20 remaining in the first half and opened the scoring in the second half to push Canisius back in front, 7-5.
Erskine pulled the Titans within one near the midway point of the third, but Kearnan scored three of the next four goals to record the hat trick and push the Griffs lead to 10-7, setting the stage for Detroit Mercy’s decisive spurt.
Freshman Logan Shamblin recorded 11 saves in goal for the Titans, including four stops in the fourth quarter. SeniorLiam Ganzhorn posted eight saves between the pipes for the Griffs.
Head Coach Mark Miyashita‘s Postgame Comments
“We were in a great spot up 10-7 and had an opportunity where if we could have put in one or two more goals we might have been able to get the cushion that we needed, but Detroit Mercy was able to claw their way back in and get some longer possessions that they were able to get some goals out of and that allowed them to get some momentum against us in the fourth.
“We knew it was going to be a scrappy game and tonight was one of the first times this year that we’ve been up in a game late and had our opponent trying to mount a comeback. We’ve been the team having to mount the comeback a number of times early in the season, so this is definitely a chance for us to learn what it’s like when you’re in control in terms of the score and how to close out a team in the fourth quarter.”
Game Notes
• Canisius saw its all-time record shift to 4-6 against Detroit Mercy as it had its two-game winning streak against the Titans snapped.
• Detroit Mercy held a 39-33 shot advantage in the contest, highlighted by a 12-6 edge during the fourth quarter.
• Senior Connor Kearnan recorded his fifth hat trick of the season and 18th of his career with his three-goal effort on Saturday.
• With his two assists on Saturday, Kearnan moved into tie with Nick LoCoco for second place on the program’s single-season assists chart (34).
• Kearnan’s five points also moved him into sole possession of 10th place on the program’s single-season points chart (55).
• Senior Steven Coss recorded his third hat trick of the season and fifth of his career with his three-goal effort Saturday.
• Sophomore Mathieu Boissonneault posted his first multiple-assist game of his career with his two-assist effort on Saturday.
Up Next
• Canisius plays its final non-conference game of the season Tuesday when it hosts Robert Morris in a 7 p.m. contest at the Demske Sports Complex.