Men’s lacrosse splits week’s games after overtime loss
The Geneseo men’s lacrosse team continued their road trip this week, playing at both Morrisville State College and Ithaca College. A dominant victory at Morrisville was followed by a double-overtime loss to Ithaca, leaving the Knights with a 2-1 record for the year so far.
On Wednesday, Mar. 1, Geneseo traveled to Morrisville to face the Mustangs. The first goal of the game was scored at the 11:15 minute mark by sophomore attacker Brady Sullivan. Geneseo’s 1-0 lead was short-lived as Morrisville struck back with a goal just 15 seconds later. The first quarter was kept close, but as the horn sounded, the Mustangs held a 3-2 advantage.
The Knights’ defense played phenomenally in the second quarter, not allowing a single goal. Meanwhile, the offense scored three—two by Sullivan, and one by senior attacker Christian Marcello Jr., his first. Geneseo entered halftime with a 5-3 lead.
The first few minutes of the third quarter were action-packed as the Knights scored five goals. Of the five, two belonged to Marcello, two were claimed by Sullivan, and one by sophomore attacker Jimmy Atkinson. The Knights stayed on the attack and added a few more goals for safe measure. The Mustangs found the back of the net three times, but the quarter ended with a 12-6 Geneseo lead.
Morrisville struck first in the last quarter, but they were no match for the three goals scored by Marcello, Atkinson, and senior midfielder William McCumiskey. Geneseo was able to close out the game with a dominant 15-8 victory as their record improved to 2-0 on the season.
Following the win against Morrisville, Geneseo traveled to Ithaca for a matchup against the undefeated Bombers. McCumiskey and Sullivan each scored a goal to give the Knights a 2-0 lead, which was squashed by Ithaca’s three consecutive goals. The Bombers took the first quarter with a 3-2 lead.
Ithaca maintained their momentum in the second quarter, doubling their goals and gaining a 6-2 lead. Geneseo failed to have an answer until senior attacker Reese Gerlach took advantage of the extra-man opportunity. Sullivan and graduate student midfielder Joe Luconte each added a goal to lessen the damage. Geneseo trailed 7-5 at the half.
The Bombers added a quick two goals in the third quarter but were met by Marcello and Sullivan who combined for three goals, leaving the quarter even. The Knights remained down by two to end the third quarter, with a score of 10-8.
Geneseo began their comeback in the final quarter, and they took the lead with a goal by freshman midfielder Jack Helrigel. Their 11-10 lead was met by an Ithaca goal, pushing the game to overtime. The first overtime period was scoreless, and the second failed to see any action until Ithaca scored with 2:33 remaining on the clock. Their goal pushed them to victory, improving their record to 2-0.
Between the two games, Sullivan scored nine goals while Marcello scored seven. McCumiskey tallied four assists and Atkinson added three to their statline for the season. Geneseo will look to bounce back from the loss to Ithaca and have a great season; with over a dozen games left, the Knights have many opportunities to prove how good of a team they truly are.