Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. – Graduate student attackman Carter Collins (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake/Lindenwood) scored the game-winning goal with six minutes left as the top-ranked Le Moyne College men's lacrosse recorded an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over fifth-ranked Mercy College on Saturday afternoon at Mercy Field.


"Our defense did a nice job in the second half of forcing them to take poor shots," said head coach Dan Sheehan. "We didn't show up ready to play until halftime and that's on me. We need more "buy in" from certain guys, quickly. We've never been a program that relies on just one guy. Le Moyne lacrosse is team lacrosse."
 
Mercy opened the game with the first three goals over the initial 5:16. Jack Gibbons started the scoring 54 seconds into the contest off a pass from Matt Eccles. Brady Kearnan followed with his fifth goal of the year with 12:29 remaining in the half. Andrew Calabria put the Mavericks up by three at the 9:44 mark with his fifth goal of the season.

Collins got the Dolphins in the scoring column at the 9:10 mark with his seventh tally of the campaign.

The Mavericks scored twice in the last 2:40 to take a 5-1 advantage. Calabria scored the team's fourth goal and then Dominic Scorcia completed the scoring in the quarter with 43 seconds left off a dish from Eccles. The Mavericks are the first team to score five goals in the first quarter against the Dolphins since Merrimack in the 2019 NCAA semifinals (game was tied at five after one quarter).

The Dolphins trimmed their deficit back to three just 41 seconds into the second goal on the fourth goal of the season by redshirt senior midfielder Zach Pierce (Gansevoort, N.Y./Schuylerville/Onondaga C.C.).

Kearnan pushed Mercy's lead back to four for the final time with a rebound goal with 12:44 to go in the half.

Le Moyne scored back-to-back goals to cut Mercy's lead in half. Senior attackman Kevin Sheehan (Camillus, N.Y./West Genesee) found the back of the net for the fifth time this year off a pass from Pierce with 10:36 to go. Graduate student attackman Devin Andrews (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua Academy/Stony Brook) followed at the 8:29 mark off a feed from Collins for his third marker of the campaign.

Following eight minutes of scoreless action, Eccles completed the scoring in the half – and Mercy's scoring in the game – with an extra-man tally with 26 seconds left off a dish from Kearnan.

Le Moyne scored the only three goals of the third quarter to even the score at seven apiece. Pierce netted the first goal at the 8:15 mark. Just over 90 seconds later, Sheehan pulled the Dolphins within one after collecting a pass from Pierce. Graduate student midfielder Ben McCreary (Cicero, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) knotted the score with 2:20 left in the stanza with his sixth goal of the season.
 
Following a turnover and two saves by each team over the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter, the Dolphins scored the only goal of the fourth quarter. Just eight seconds after a timeout called by Mercy, Collins netted his eighth goal of the season to put the Dolphins in front for the first time with 6:05 remaining.
 
The Mavericks put a pair of shots on goal over the next 46 seconds, but redshirt senior goalkeeper Frank Delia (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker/Onondaga C.C.) turned away both.

After Le Moyne hit a post twice before committing a turnover on its next possession, Mercy got an extra-man situation, but turned the ball back over to the Dolphins after just 11 seconds.

Le Moyne was able to run 80 seconds off the clock on its next possession before Mercy had one final chance to tie the score. Sophomore defenseman Jagger Kerr (Geneva, N.Y./Geneva) caused a turnover with 26 seconds left and fifth year defenseman Nate Arnold (Macedon, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon/Richmond) was able to scoop up the loose ball and carry it into the offensive end, where Le Moyne called timeout with 17 seconds left. Out of the timeout, the Dolphins were able to run off the remaining time to close out the victory.

Delia finished the game with a career-high 18 saves, including six in the fourth quarter, to earn the win between the pipes. Tommy Umano made 10 saves in the loss for the Mavericks.

Le Moyne (3-0), which has wins over three top-seven ranked teams, is back in action on Wednesday for its home opener against Roberts Wesleyan College at 3:00 p.m.