ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s lacrosse team surged to an 18-9 victory over Pfeiffer University on May 7, advancing in the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament. The Seahawks (10-7) unleashed eight consecutive goals in the final 19 minutes to secure their third NCAA Tournament win, overpowering the Falcons (15-4) in the first round.
The team now faces No. 2 Salisbury University (19-0) in the second round on May 10 at 3:30 p.m. at Sea Gull Stadium in Salisbury, Md. Tickets are priced at $10 for general admission, $7 for seniors (65+), and $3 for children and non-Salisbury students, available online. This marks the second meeting this season between the Seahawks and Sea Gulls, following Salisbury’s 15-7 win on April 15.
The game opened with Pfeiffer jumping to a 2-0 lead within 95 seconds, courtesy of goals from Andrew Brown and Zach Gignac. St. Mary’s responded with two goals from senior attackman Aiden Doyle (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck), tying the score at 2-2. Brown’s second goal and a man-down tally from Ethan Miles gave Pfeiffer a 4-2 edge early in the second quarter. Junior attackman Joshua Martel (Linthicum, Md./North County) and senior midfielder Jake Levey (Marriottsville, Md./Marriotts Ridge) leveled the game at 4-4, but Miles put Pfeiffer ahead 5-4. Levey and Horton scored 50 seconds apart, giving St. Mary’s a 6-5 halftime lead.
The third quarter saw both teams trade goals, with St. Mary’s building a 9-7 advantage. Sophomore defensive midfielder Will Hock (Arlington, Va./Yorktown) scored a fastbreak goal off a face-off, pushing the lead to 10-7. Pfeiffer’s Mason Tardiff and Khyler Johnson narrowed the gap to 10-9, but St. Mary’s dominated thereafter, scoring eight unanswered goals to seal the win.
The Seahawks outshot Pfeiffer 62-32 and held a 44-25 edge in ground balls. They won 18 of 29 face-offs and neutralized all five of Pfeiffer’s extra-man opportunities. Doyle led with six points, including four goals and two assists. Levey added three goals and one assist, while senior attackman Keegan Preis (Upper Falls, Md./Loyola Blakefield) contributed two goals and two assists. Sophomore Gavin McKay (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana) matched his career-high with three goals.
Junior defenseman Joe Szymanski (Easton, Md./Easton) collected seven ground balls and caused three turnovers, and senior defenseman Joe Murray (Lutherville, Md./Towson) set career-bests with five ground balls and five caused turnovers. Junior Matteo Ciccarello (Crofton, Md./Arundel) won 14 of 23 face-offs, and senior Cullen McKay (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana) made 10 saves, reaching his 200th career save.
Pfeiffer’s Miles led with three goals, while Brown and Tardiff each scored twice. Goalkeeper Korbin Hamilton made 14 saves, but the Falcons’ 10-game win streak ended.
St. Mary’s, led by a balanced offensive and defensive effort, now prepares for a challenging rematch against undefeated Salisbury. The Seahawks’ ability to control face-offs and capitalize on ground balls will be critical in their bid to advance further in the tournament.