Last season, Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse got off to a historic start, winning its first seven games of the year. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, there will not be a repeat this time around.
An inability to score on offense and a knack for penalties have dug the Bobcats into a 0-2 hole to start the year.
The good news? Not only have the Bobcats not played at home,, they also have not played a conference opponent.
The bad news? 0-2 is still 0-2.
UMass Amherst
The Bobcats traveled to Amherst, Massachusetts for their season opener against UMass Amherst. It was the first time men’s lacrosse stepped on an opposing field since the team’s 14-13 loss to Manhattan in the first round of the 2024 MAAC tournament.
Quinnipiac’s season debut against UMass Amherst left much to be desired, but the 19-5 final score is deceiving. Despite giving up 19 points, the Bobcats played great defense, the offense just couldn’t keep up which resulted in a meltdown during the second half.
Junior goalie Mason Oak kept up his end of the bargain, the Preseason MAAC Player of the Year racked up 17 saves with 12 in the first half alone.
During the third quarter, Quinnipiac’s offense went cold. The Bobcats put up just two goals while the Minutemen piled on nine in the span of 15 minutes.
UMass senior midfielder Trace Hogan had a field day against Quinnipiac, scoring six goals and assisting on two more as he sliced his way through a stout Bobcat defense. One of the few bright spots from the loss was sophomore attacker Nate Watson, who showcased his potential during the season opener. Watson debuted his sophomore campaign with two goals and two assists, generating 40% of Quinnipiac’s points.
St. John’s
The Bobcats continued their road trip to Southern New York to take on St. John’s, who were coming off a 17-10 loss to a No. 18 Delaware squad.
It was a cold day in Jamaica, New York with temperatures in the mid 20s and winds of 13 mph. Quinnipiac and St. John’s players were visibly affected by the weather, their uniforms constantly flowing in the wind. Even during stoppages of play, players continued moving to stay warm.
Quinnipiac’s achilles heel appeared in the form of penalties, the team couldn’t stay away from the referee’s yellow flag. In the first quarter alone, the Red Storm got handed three man-up opportunities as the Bobcats were unable to play sound ball.
The Bobcat’s sloppiness resulted in a hot start for St. John’s, who built up a 3-1 lead by the end of the first quarter. That lead only extended in the second quarter, senior attacker Brian Kelly delivered a strike to stretch St. John’s streak of unanswered goals to four. Kelly finished the contest with four goals.
A few minutes later, freshman attacker Mitch Campbell caught Oak in a rare moment of hesitation and delivered the Red Storm’s fifth goal of the contest.
Oak continued the momentum he built up against UMass and brought it with him to New York. The junior goalie kept the Bobcats in the game with his clutch saves in the first half, racking up 10 by the end of the second quarter.
The Bobcats refused to give up, clawing theirway back to contention in the third quarter, getting within one goal of the Red Storm. But a costly turnover during the middle of the third quarter paused any momentum Quinnipiac possessed.
Quinnipiac’s defense began to crumble as the Red Storm snagged three quick goals to boost their lead to four.
The start of the fourth quarter was a different story for Quinnipiac, a different type of energy thrived into itsoffense. After a goal by Watson brought the Red Storm’s lead to 9-6, a quick face-off win-and-score by sophomore midfielder Johnny Karafa brought the Bobcats within two goals.
However it was only fitting for such a back-and-forth game like this one, for the momentum to immediately swing back to St. John’s way. The Red Storm put the game on cruise control for the last five minutes of play as St. John’s clinched a 15-9 victory.
The Red Storm had as many shots on goal this game (31) as Quinnipiac had shots in the game.
What’s next?
Quinnipiac was able to resurrect its offense in the fourth quarter against St. John’s, but it still wasn’t enough to secure a victory. The defense was never in question for the Bobcats this season, but you can’t win lacrosse games by just playing one side of the ball. Quinnipiac needs to find new ways to score goals.
The Bobcats attempt to get their offense back on track during their season opener. on Feb. 22 against Bryant. The first face-off is set for 2 p.m.
