The Holy Cross men’s lacrosse team won against Fairfield, 13-12, in a non-conference match at Rafferty Stadium on April 11.
The victory brings Holy Cross to an even record of 6-6 for the season, while Fairfield drops to 4-8. The game was closely contested throughout and featured several lead changes.
After a low-scoring first half that ended tied at three goals each, both teams increased their offensive efforts in the second half. Sophomore Andrew Ottomanelli scored early for Holy Cross, with additional goals from juniors Bo Webster and Sam McDonald. Despite falling behind when Fairfield scored six times within six minutes in the third quarter to take a five-goal lead, Holy Cross narrowed the gap before the end of the period with goals from Aedan Cassidy, Webster, Shane McDonnell, and Matthew Marchetta.
Fairfield started the fourth quarter by extending its lead to three goals. However, Holy Cross responded with five consecutive goals by Will Deo, Owen Tunney (who scored twice), Tyler Marmo, and Ottomanelli to take a late two-goal advantage. Although Fairfield managed one more goal with less than two minutes remaining, it was not enough to overcome Holy Cross’s lead.
Senior JR Long made 14 saves during his sixth win of the season. Senior Michael Rincon tied for most ground balls in the game with eight and recorded four caused turnovers. Tunney continued his strong performance streak with his second consecutive game scoring at least six points and has now had at least three points in six straight games.
Holy Cross will return to Patriot League play next week when they travel to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania to face Bucknell. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.
