BALTIMORE, Md. – The Lafayette men's lacrosse team captured its first-ever program win over Patriot League foe Loyola Md. in an 11-10 final at Ridley Athletic Complex on Saturday.

Senior captain Riley Sullivan scored the game-winning goal at the 6:49 mark of the fourth quarter, while junior goalkeeper Joe Doherty and the Leopards' defense kept Loyola off the board in the final 12 minutes.

The contest had an extremely quick start, as sophomore Jack Massotto fired the Maroon and White into the lead with a goal in the opening nine seconds. Both sides continued to work out some early jitters over the next four minutes. With 9:30 left in the period, senior midfielder Liam Sargent doubled Lafayette's advantage, assisted by freshman Joseph Duggan. The hosts took nine shots in the quarter, but the Leopards held them scoreless, leading 2-0 after 15 minutes.

The game flipped on its head in the beginning of the second stanza, as Loyola put together a four-goal run and led 4-2 with 11:17 left in the half. Luke Murphy, Remi Reynolds, Ryan McGorry and Brady Quinn each found the back of the net during the spurt. Despite the shift in momentum, Lafayette didn't retreat. The Maroon and White responded with their own 3-0 run, retaking a 5-4 advantage after freshmen Mason Hill, Benjamin DiBattista and Duggan all tallied goals. Loyola notched another score before the end of the half, leaving the teams tied at five goals apiece at the intermission.

Third quarter action provided fans with four lead changes and as many ties. The hosts struck first (13:50) courtesy of a goal by Will McCulloch, but back-to-back goals by Lafayette guided it to a 7-6 lead with 8:34 remaining. Matthew Mincus tied the game not even a minute later, before a five-minute stretch of goalless action approached. The last three minutes of the third quarter featured four goals, beginning with senior midfielder John Galbraith scoring his first career goal for the Leopards.

Mason Cook tied the game for Loyola with 1:32 to go, but 59 seconds later DiBattista scored his second of the game. Quinn found the back of the net with nine seconds left in the stanza, which left a 9-9 scoreline with the fourth quarter still to play.

Both teams approached the final period cautiously due to the back-and-forth display. DiBattista completed his hat trick at the 14:22 mark to hand the Leopards a 10-9 lead. Loyola tied it two minutes later through Cook, but Lafayette had the last laugh. Lafayette attacker Riley Sullivan scored the game winner with 6:49 on the clock for his 53^rd point of the season. Coming into Saturday's matchup, the Leopards were 0-13 versus Loyola. 

Lafayette's defense and goalkeeper Doherty were crucial down the stretch, limiting Loyola's opportunities on goal. Doherty finished his outing with a season-high 16 saves, while his counterpart Max Watkinson made 12. Carson Hall had a good day at the x for Loyola, winning 13 of his 24 attempts. Sophomore Nick Faccone took the majority Lafayette's faceoffs and went 50 percent on the day (7-14), while scooping up three ground balls.

The Leopards return to College Hill at 7:30 p.m. on Friday as they host Bucknell for Alumni Day.
 

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