Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics
By Chris Dacey
With both Quinnipiac and Marist men’s lacrosse needing a conference win to stay in the playoff hunt, Saturday night’s rematch of last year’s MAAC Championship game was a crucial game for both sides with the post season just around the corner.
The senior day game for Quinnipiac was a close one and came down to the last possession where Quinnipiac had a chance to tie the game to force overtime, but the Red Fox defense bended but did not break as Marist gained its first MAAC win of the year, defeating Quinnipiac 9-8.
The loss was the last “home” game for four Bobcat seniors. It was played at Reese Stadium due to the construction back at Quinnipiac. The seniors honored before the game include Jack Brust, Drew D’Antonio, Kevin Diehl and Zach Malsky.
“I feel bad for them [seniors]. Especially for Jack, he’s a gladiator,” head coach Eric Fekete said. “Those guys were a huge part of last year and the championship and the same thing in 2015.”
After winning that championship last year, the defending champs now look like they will have to win out the rest of this season’s games just to make it back to the playoffs.
Next up on the schedule for Quinnipiac is Siena. The Saints are 1-2 in MAAC play and 1-10 overall after its first win over Manhattan earlier in the day.
“At this point we gotta win,” Fekete said. “We got to go up to up to Siena and win next Friday and then go up to Buffalo the weekend after and do the same.”
But in order to win those last two games Fekete knows the defense in front of Brust has to be better. Besides letting up nine goals on Saturday night, the Bobcats spent five minutes and 30 seconds man-down compared to Marist being man down for only a minute and 30 seconds.
“We had a lot of stupid penalties along the way,” Fekete said. “We don’t navigate the course of the game well and it’s been the same at the Monmouth game and the Detroit game.”
With the spotty defense, Brust was able to gather eight saves on the day including four in the third quarter.
“I think just as a team there has to be a little bit more discipline there,” Brust said. “Six penalties are just too much.”
Marist converted on only two of the six man-up oppurtunities it had, but Marist also converted on two last second goals at the end of a shot clock and at the end of the second quarter.
But it was senior day. Even with the loss, Brust reflected on his time at Quinnipiac after he got very emotional seconds after the game ended. He broke his stick on the crossbar in frustration and walked off the field in tears as it would be the last time he’d do so at home as a Bobcat.
After all this, Brust had nothing but good things to say about his five years in Hamden playing the sport he loves.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Brust said. “It’s something that I will cherish for the rest of my life and its made the person I am today so I am forever grateful for that. It is tough but it was a hell of a ride.”
