Box Score

NEWBURGH, N.Y. – The Mount Saint Mary College men's lacrosse team (6-9, 1-5 Skyline) closed out the 2014 campaign on Saturday, falling to Kean University (15-2, 5-1 Skyline), 23-9, in Skyline Conference action at Kaplan Field.
 
The Cougars took a 7-2 lead after one quarter. They quickly took a 6-0 lead before the Knights could get on the board. The Knights managed to score the first two goals of the second quarter to cut the deficit to just three, but Kean closed out the period scoring five of the next six goals to take a 12-5 lead into the break.
 
Freshman attacker Shaun McMahon (Commack, N.Y.) scored his third and fourth goals of the game early in the third quarter, but the Cougars still edged the Knights, 5-3, in the frame to take a 16-8 lead into the last quarter. The Knights got on the board first in the fourth, but Kean closed out the game with seven straight goals to reach the 23-9 final.
 
Dino Vitale picked up the win for Kean, allowing five goals and making four saves in the first half of play. Junior goalkeeper Connor Haran (Massapequa, N.Y.) suffered the loss, stopping eight shots in the process.
 
Five Cougars scored three or more goals in Saturday's game, led by the Skyline's leading scorer, Richard Cheifitz, who notched five goals and added an assist. Vincent Ferraro matched Cheifitz with six points on three goals and three assists. John Marcelli only scored twice, but handed out three assists for a five-point game. Jamar Thigpen led the Cougars with eight ground balls.
 
McMahon led the Knights with four netters on the afternoon. Freshman attacker Joseph Rizzotti (East Meadow, N.Y.) and freshman midfielder Michael Romanik (Hicksville, N.Y.) matched with a goal and two assists each. Senior defender Ray Bednarczyk (Carmel, N.Y.) scooped up six ground balls, while freshman long-stick midfielder Michael Capetola (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) caused a game-high three turnovers.
 
Kean fired off 57 shots while the Knights managed 25 on the afternoon. They also picked up 51 ground balls to 36 for the home team, and won 20-of-34 face-offs.
 
The Knights conclude their fifth season as a program with a 6-9 overall record after playing what may have been their toughest schedule to date. They graduate four seniors and look to keep improving with the young core that is already in place.
 
Follow the Knights on Twitter at @MSMCKnights and the men's lacrosse team at @MSMCLacrosse