Sophomore Matt Pepe led the Sacred Heart University men’s lacrosse team to a 16-11 win over Stony Brook in their season opener on Friday at Campus Field. Pepe scored four goals and provided one assist, marking a career-high five points.
The Pioneers started their season with a victory for the second consecutive year and secured back-to-back wins against the Seawolves. Sacred Heart now holds a 1-0 record, while Stony Brook falls to 0-1.
Stony Brook opened the game with two quick goals before Sacred Heart senior captain John Murray scored at the 4:52 mark to close the gap. The teams were tied 3-3 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, both sides exchanged goals until Sacred Heart pulled ahead with late scores from Ryan Grove and Jake Carney, leading 7-6 at halftime.
The third quarter saw continued exchanges until Sacred Heart managed three straight goals to build an 11-8 lead. Stony Brook responded but trailed 11-9 entering the final period.
In the fourth quarter, Sacred Heart outscored Stony Brook 5-2, including two goals from junior JJ Fox. Murray finished off the scoring for the Pioneers.
First-year player Ryan Grove won 22 of 29 faceoffs and collected eight ground balls in his debut. Senior goalkeeper Craig Daria made 16 saves in his first career start. The Pioneers held statistical advantages in shots (57-43) and faceoffs (22-8).
Sacred Heart will next play Wagner on Wednesday, February 11 at 3:00 p.m.
