Air Force Academy
Marist
Falcon Lacrosse Upended by Marist
2/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Box Score in PDF 
U.S. Air Force Academy, CO - Air Force lacrosse fell to Marist, 10-4, in their 2017 home opener, Saturday afternoon at Falcon Stadium. The Falcons, now 1-2 on the season, had their lowest scoring game since losing to VMI, 6-4, in 2014.
Marist controlled the pace of play in the first period, netting three goals and outshooting Air Force, 9-5. The Red Foxes' senior attacker, J.D. Recor, logged the first two goals with feeds from Gannon Morrison and Ralph Faiella. Morrision tallied his second point with a goal at 3:22 remaining in the first period. Marist won all four of the first period face-offs.
Marist's Connor O'Neil extended the Red Foxes' lead, 4-0, with the first goal in the second period from Joe Tierney's feed. In response, Chris Walsch connected with junior attacker Nick Hruby who put the Falcons on the board with a rocket from 10-yards straight out. Marist responded with a goal from John Vigh a minute later.
Walsch and Hruby made their second connection for a goal as Walsch fed Hruby from behind the cage where Hruby launched the ball through the wicket for his second goal of the game and seventh of the season. Again, Vigh responded to the duo with a goal of his own with seven seconds remaining in the half.
At halftime whistle, Air Force took 13 shots and scooped up 13 ground balls. The Falcons won five of six face-offs in the second period.
Marist opened the third period with Faiella's second goal, extending the lead, 7-2. Walsch and Hruby made their third connection for a goal as Hruby assisted Walsch in his first goal of the game. Five minutes later, Gannon Morrison added another goal to the Marist score sheet. At the end of the third period, Air Force was 0-6 in man-up opportunities, but led in shots, 24-18.
In the final period, Morrison and Recor rattled off two man-up goals, registering a hat trick apiece. Air Force made the final strike with Andrew Tien's top-shelf goal from Walsch's feed with just over two minutes remaining in the game, narrowing Marist's lead, 10-4. The goal marked Tien's fifth of the season.
At the final whistle, Walsch led the Falcons with four points from a goal and three assists. Hruby led the scoring charge with two goals. He added an assist for a three-point performance. Freshman goalkeeper Paxton Boyer faced 25 shots with coming 16 on goal; he made six saves on the day. Air Force led in shots, 38-25, ground balls, 33-17, and face offs 9-17.
Falcon lacrosse will return to action at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, Denver, Colo., to compete in the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, hosted by the University of Denver. The Falcons will square off with Canisius, Sat., Feb. 25, at 11:00 a.m. MT. On Sunday, Air Force will take on Cleveland State at 11:00 p.m. MT.
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