HAMDEN, Conn. - Monmouth senior Ryan Schwartz (Corning, N.Y./Corning East) totaled three points on two goals and an assist, and sophomore Zack Schleicher (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) added a goal and an assist, but the Hawks fell victim to a late Quinnipiac rally in a 9-8 loss on the road in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference men's lacrosse action on Saturday afternoon.
Monmouth, which has now had five games this season decided by a single goal, falls to 5-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play.
Monmouth, which led 7-3 at the intermission, was outscored 6-1 in the second half. Quinnipiac, which tallied six unanswered goals, took a 9-7 lead with 51 seconds remaining, before Tyler Keen's (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West) goal off an assist from Schleicher with 27 seconds left, pulled the Hawks within one.
Monmouth opened the game with a 2-0 lead following unassisted goals from Schleicher and Schwartz, and led 3-1 after sophomore Eric Berger's (Ardsley, Pa./Penn Charter) unassisted score with 2:55 left in the first quarter. After the Bobcats pulled within 3-2 to open the second stanza, the Hawks outscored QU 4-1 for the remainder of the period to hold the 7-3 advantage.
In the Hawks' four-goal second quarter, freshman Bryce Wasserman (Southlake, Texas/Grapevine Faith) scored his team-leading 21st goal of the year, while Schwartz assisted on sophomore Chris Daly's (Wynnewood, Pa./Lower Merion) ninth of the campaign. Sophomore Jayson Bevacqua's (South Orange, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) second career assist on classmate Kevin Murphy's (Lafayette Hill, Pa./Penn Charter) goal gave Monmouth a 6-3 lead, while Schwartz registered a man-up goal with 59 second remaining to push the Hawks in front by four at the break.
Quinnipiac netted the only two scores of the third period to climb within 7-6 entering the final stanza.
Quinnipiac edged Monmouth in shots 35-34, while senior Garrett Conaway (Marriottsville, Md./Liberty) made 13 saves in cage for the Hawks, his ninth outing with double-digits stops for the Blue & White.
Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, April 25, when the Hawks host Manhattan at 1:00 on Senior Day. The Monmouth regular season finale is set to be broadcast on ESPN3.
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