The Quinnipiac men’s lacrosse season ends on a somber note in the second round. The Bobcats, who went 2-6 in conference play, matched up against top-seeded Sacred Heart Pioneers in what can only be described as a lopsided affair.
Sacred Heart started the game off playing like a No. 1 seed, scoring two goals within 10 seconds of each other to put the Bobcats in a quick deficit. Junior attacker Will Moulton put the Pioneers on the scoreboard, followed by a shot from graduate student midfielder Cayden Brodnax.
But just like in their upset 12-10 victory against No. 3 Canisius on April 27, the Bobcats didn’t shy away from the big moments.
And while Quinnipiac may have been down, it certainly wasn’t out.
Sophomore attacker Nate Watson — Quinnipiac’s leading goalscorer — continued his standout second season in Hamden by scoring the first goal of the game for the Bobcats.
With a roster as deep as Sacred Heart’s, the team was bound to have some players elevate their game in the postseason. The Pioneers playoff riser in this game was none other than Bronax, who scored his second goal of the game to put Sacred Heart up 3-1, matching his regular season total of goals with two.
Sacred Heart applied the pressure on the Bobcats from the moment the game started. On more than one occasion, Quinnipiac found itself in danger of not clearing the ball in time, something that shouldn’t be a problem for a team in the second round of the postseason.
The Pioneers used their newfound momentum to their advantage. It seemed as though every other possession the team managed to put the ball into the Bobcat net. Within the blink of an eye, Sacred Heart found itself up 7-1.
But while the Pioneers continued to apply the pressure.
Despite the pressure, Watson delivered two more goals for Quinnipiac, this time in the second quarter, to help stop the bleeding and bring the Bobcats back into the game.
Sacred Heart ended the first half on a high note, as short-stick defensive midfielder Garrett Mangels stormed down the field to deliver a behind-the-back shot that went right past junior goaltender Mason Oak. Followed up by a goal from freshman attacker Matt Pepe and the Pioneers reached double-digit goals in the first half.
The Pioneers were able to limit the amount of opportunities for Quinnipiac. The No. 1 seed had 30 shot attempts in the first half compared to just 15 attempts from Quinnipiac.
The Bobcats limited number of shots on goal, being held at eight,contributed to the limited amount of points they were able to put on the scoreboard. When both teams went into their respective locker rooms at halftime, Quinnipiac found itself in a 10-4 deficit.
But despite a six goal lead, Pioneers head coach John Basti wasn’t satisfied defensively.
“Think we just gotta be more disciplined in the way we’re dodging a little bit,” Basti said on the ESPN+ broadcast. “Too many top of the box turnovers which I think allowed (Quinnipiac) to creep back in, gotta clean up a couple things on defense.”
The Pioneers only continued to extend their lead once halftime ended, just five minutes into the third quarter, sophomore midfielder Tim Kiely and attacker Ryan Rooney found the Bobcat net to put Sacred Heart up by eight goals.
After finding some offense with a three-goal run in the second quarter, the Bobcats went ice cold despite some man-up opportunities while Sacred Heart kept piling on the goals.
The Pioneers continued to put the clamps on the Bobcats, and as both teams entered the fourth quarter, Quinnipiac found itself in a nine goal deficit.
The Bobcats finally got a break on offense when freshman midfielder Drew Bradley delivered a strike to the Pioneer net off an assist from Watson to bring the deficit to eight.
Sacred Heart suffered a big loss during the fourth quarter after freshman midfielder Dom Basti sustained an unknown injury after a shot attempt, which caused him to exit the game and head for the sideline.
Despite being undermanned, Sacred Heart still found ways to put points on the board. With seven minutes left to go in the fourth, the scoreboard read 16-8 in favor of the Pioneers, a near insurmountable lead for Quinnipiac to overcome.
The back half of the fourth quarter saw an offensive stalemate between both teams as Sacred Heart wound down the clock, as a ticket to the MAAC Finals became closer to a reality.
As the final minutes of the game ticked down, reality settled in as Quinnipiac’s season was coming to a close. Bobcat teammates embraced each other as the final minutes became seconds, and once the game officially ended the Sacred Heart sideline erupted in cheers.
As a Cinderella story comes to an end, Quinnipiac looks to reflect on a season filled with highs and lows and attempts to come back next year with more experience.
