Springfield Mass. – The St. Thomas Aquinas College Men's Lacrosse team opened its 2022 home schedule, falling to Felician University, 11-9, on Wednesday afternoon at Spartan Field. STAC dropped to 0-2 on the season, while Felician improved to 3-0.
 
How It Happened

• Felician jumped out to a 1-0 lead with just over nine minutes to play in the first quarter and would then double their lead in the last two minutes to go up 2-0 through the first 15 minutes of action.
• STAC got on the scoreboard four minutes into the second stanza on a Jonathan Farley strike, with Jason Beddows picking up the assist to make it a 2-1 game.
• The visiting Golden Falcons regained their two-goal advantage (3-1), before the Spartans would net back-to-back goals by Braiden Struss to tie the game at 3-3.
• Felician scored twice in the final two minutes, with a STAC tally sandwiched in between, as Jason Beddows found himself on the score sheet, this time with a goal, to keep the Spartans at a one-goal deficit, 5-4 at halftime.
• Following the break, the Golden Falcons picked up a pair of goals to go back up by three (7-4).
• Jonathan Farley tallied his second of the day to make it 7-5, before Felician would get one back to make it 8-5.
• Carlos Aguilar closed the scoring in the third quarter, picking up his first goal of the afternoon for the maroon and golf, closing the gap to two at 8-6.
• In the fourth quarter, Felician would tally an early goal to make it a 9-6 game, before Braiden Struss would net his third goal of the match, for the hat trick, to make it 9-7.
• The Golden Falcons struck for consecutive goals to increase their lead to four at 11-7, before STAC put on a furious rally late in the contest and picked up back-to-back goals by Reno Molina and Carlos Aguilar to make it a two-goal deficit, 11-9.
• Unfortunately, off of the ensuing face-off, Felician would hold the ball and run out the clock to ensure themselves a victory, their third straight.

Top Performances

• Braiden Struss tallied three goals on the afternoon.
• Jonathan Farley and Carlos Aguilar netted three points (two goals and an assist) apiece.
• Reno Molina and Jason Beddows scored a goal each.
• Molina also picked up five ground balls, while Sophomore James Staeckeler caused two turnovers.
• Graduate student Giorgio D'Angelo made 17 saves in the cage, with junior Craig Peavy coming on in relief late in the contest, and making seven saves.

Up Next
STAC returns to action on Tuesday, March 8 when they host Post University at Spartan Field. Opening face-off is set for 3:00 p.m.