IMMACULATA, Pa. (Feb. 21) – The Saint Vincent men's lacrosse team battled through four quarters of Presidents' Athletic Conference action but fell 7-6 to Immaculata University Saturday afternoon on the road.
 
With the result, the Bearcats moved to 2-1 overall.
 
The tightly contested matchup featured lead changes and momentum swings throughout, with neither team able to separate until the final minute.
 
Immaculata struck first when Matt Frame found the back of the net early in the first quarter. Saint Vincent responded in the second period with three straight goals, including scores by Neal Ritchie (two) and Max Radcliffe, giving SVC a 4-3 halftime advantage. Buckets from Connor Smith and Radcliffe's second of the afternoon helped fuel the Bearcats' early offensive stand.
 
Immaculata countered in the third quarter, with goals from Jude Azzarano and Nick Senatore evening the score at 5-5 before the final period. The Bearcats regained the lead early in the fourth when Calvin Rose scored unassisted, knotting the game at 6-6 with just over nine minutes to play.
 
However, with just 10 seconds remaining, Jason Smaron's tally off an assist from Ryan Gorman proved to be the game-winner for Immaculata.
 
Saint Vincent's offense finished with 43 total shots and 24 shots on goal, while Immaculata put 38 shots on cage overall.
 
In net, Bearcat goalkeeper Jackson Blow saved 19 attempts across 60 minutes, keeping SVC within striking distance through the final whistle. Meanwhile, Immaculata's Matthew Ludlow made 18 saves for the home team.
 
Statistically, the Bearcats held a slight advantage in ground balls (34-36) and faced solid pressure from Immaculata's attack.
 
Saint Vincent returns to action on Saturday, February 28 with a road matchup at Messiah University. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. next Saturday in Grantham, Pa.