The Saint A’s men’s lacrosse team has been on an absolute tear ever since their season began, beating their opponents into oblivion in the process. The Hawks currently sit comfortably in seventh place among USILA rankings, and it is no surprise. Led by ninth year head coach, Michael Sciamanna, the high-flying Hawks are coming off their third straight season with 10 or more wins and an NCAA Division II postseason appearance. This season definitely deserves a second look.
The Hawks opened their 2024 campaign at home at Grappone Stadium on Feb. 24 with a 16-5 win against Molloy University, where senior Noah Larson scored 4 goals and 10 other Hawks scored at least one goal. This victory set the tone of what was to follow. And at that time the hawks were tied for 5th place in the latest USILA Nation Poll.
The Hawks suffered their first loss of the season against No.12 seeded team, Bentley. Junior Colin Mulvey and sophomore Chris Claflin both scored hat tricks, but it wasn’t enough to secure a win.
On March 5, the Hawks put on a clinic against Franklin Pierce, putting together a 20-9 win–their first NE10 win of the season. Fifth year Jack Andrews scored 2 goals, and freshmen Mark Boyle, Ryan Weller, and Evan Spillane all had first collegiate goals.
On March 11 against No. 13 Mercyhurst, which was a rematch of last season’s NCAA quarterfinal, the Hawks dominated from start to finish where the offense exploded for 18 goals to help secure their third win of the season. Senior Nick Larsen scored a career high 5 goals and 7 points.
The Hawks then traveled to Albany, N.Y., on March 25 to play Saint Rose. They put on another display of dominance in a 19-8 win, which saw junior Joe Lombardi match his career high with 4 goals in the game. The Hawks remained undefeated in league play at the time.
On March 30, against Bentley, the Hawks got redemption with a 17-8 win. 5 different Hawks recorded multi-goal games, improving to 3-0 in conference play.
It seems throughout the season that the sky’s the limit for the high-flying Hawks–everything seems to be going their way. Against Southern New Hampshire University, junior Colin Mulvey set a career high with 5 goals as the nationally-ranked Hawks defeated their crosstown rivals. With this, the Hawks improved their ranking to number 8.
Against American International on April 13, a balanced-out offense remained unbeaten in NE10 conference play, constructing a 14-11 win, which was quite different to the lopsided wins these Hawks were so used to. Fifth year Craig Yannone tied his career high with 23 faceoff wins, and set a new career best with 20 ground balls.
Against Saint Michael’s on April 17, the Hawks’ 8-game winning streak was snapped on Senior Day.
“It’s been a great season so far beating teams that are having some great outings,” says junior Tyler Marshall. “The NE10 is extremely competitive this year, and has a lot of teams fighting for playoff spots. Our team has high hopes for this year, and our last 2 games of the regular season will give us the opportunity to show everyone what we can do and why we put in the work all year long.”
Though they have indeed done it already, the Hawks still have a lot of time left to show what they are all about. But, with playoffs coming up, and with other teams fighting for a playoff spot, the Hawks have to buckle down even more.
