The No. 11 Stevenson men’s lacrosse team (6-3) was dealt a stifling 24-9 loss by No. 2 Salisbury (10-0) on Saturday evening at Mustang Stadium, as the Seagulls continued their decade-long dominance in the storied Maryland rivalry.
Despite high energy and a determined mindset to end a 10-year losing streak, the Mustangs fell behind early and never recovered. Salisbury opened the game with a four-goal run before Hunter Bryant got Stevenson on the board with an assist from Taz Delaney. But the Seagulls immediately answered with another four goals to take an 8-1 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter followed a similar script. Salisbury tacked on three more goals before Graeme McCrory who returned after a historic season with Stevenson’s men’s ice hockey team, notched Stevenson’s second. Five unanswered Seagull goals followed, giving the visitors a commanding 16-2 halftime lead. Salisbury outshot Stevenson 47-7 through two quarters, showcasing their speed, depth, and defensive dominance.
The third quarter saw Salisbury extend the lead to 20-2 with a four-goal stretch before Bryant scored again off a pass from Grant Zick. A man-up goal by Dillon Linhardt made it 20-4, but Salisbury responded again to end the quarter with a 21-4 advantage.
In the fourth, Stevenson fought to regain some ground. Zick opened scoring off an assist from Bryant, followed by John Martin Vince’s first collegiate goal. Camden Deming added another—his first as well—before Salisbury struck back with three more goals. Stevenson finished strong with goals from Vince and Gavin Gossen to close the scoring at 24-9. The loss marks Stevenson’s 10th straight defeat to Salisbury, a streak dating back to March 2015
Zick shared the team tries to end on a strong note despite the final results. “We try to stay positive and just stay the course. When things aren’t clicking right away we juts have to stay the course and keep playing our game.”
Bryant led the Mustangs with two goals and an assist for a three-point night. Zick and Gossen each tallied a goal and an assist, while Vince contributed two goals. Deming, McCrory, and Linhardt each added a goal, and Delaney recorded one assist. Goalkeepers Nicholas Parolin and Tyler Merchant combined for 12 saves.
Bryant was one of the stronger aspects of the game, he shared his thoughts about what the team will do to prepare for their mid-week matchup against Elizabthtown.
“We will all work on handling pressure and being more active as a team on the field,” Bryant said.
Zick shared the team’s thoughts on how the team will move on from this loss. “I think this game was a message that we can’t get complacent. We can now use this game for fuel to just keep working everyday and getting better.”
The Mustangs will now look to regroup as they head to Pennsylvania for their final nonconference matchup of the season, taking on Elizabethtown at 7 p.m.
