CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Mercyhurst men's lacrosse team fell to Queens 14-11 on Sunday at Dickson Field. The Lakers stayed ahead of Royals for three quarters but were unable to prevent a comeback from the Royals in the fourth. 

The Lakers began the first quarter with strong play, quickly establishing momentum through a goal by Mason Blakeman at 13:45, assisted by Ryan Mahoney. Matthew Belles extended the lead with a goal just a minute later, aided by Dan Buckley, as the Green and Blue dominated faceoffs early on. The Royals responded with two goals, leveling the score by 9:42. The Lakers maintained composure and regained the lead with a late goal by Robert Madden at 0:57, set up by Darrin Santos, closing the quarter ahead 3-2.

The Lakers started the second quarter with momentum as Boden Clark secured the faceoff, leading to Mason Blakeman's goal at 11:44, tying the game at 3-3. Shortly after, Robert Madden found the net with an assist from Matthew Belles, giving the Lakers a 4-3 advantage. Queens responded with a goal by Carter Petersen, leveling the score at 5-5. Despite a strong defensive effort and a couple of saves by Tyler Moritzen, Queens managed to edge ahead 6-5 with a goal from Ben Dorbish. The Lakers equalized with a late effort from Chase Petschke, making it 6-6. The quarter concluded with the score tied, setting up a competitive second half.

Mercyhurst began the third quarter with a momentum shift as Colin Tardif scored with an assist from Ryan Mahoney, quickly extending the lead. The team continued to capitalize on Queens' turnovers, with Matthew Belles scoring another goal, assisted by Dj Neer. This put the Lakers in a strong position early in the quarter. Midway through the quarter, Colin Tardif added another goal, assisted by Matthew Belles, further increasing the lead. Despite a few turnovers, the Green and Blue maintained control, with effective clears and defensive stops, including key saves by Tyler Moritzen. In the final seconds, Queens managed to score, narrowing the deficit, but Mercyhurst concluded the quarter with a 9-7 advantage, highlighting their offensive efficiency and defensive resilience.

The Lakers began the fourth quarter with a successful faceoff by Griffin Stevens, leading to an early goal by Colin Tardif, assisted by Matthew Belles, at 13:45. This extended their lead briefly, but Queens quickly responded with a goal by Ryan McDaniel, equalizing the score. Queens capitalized on their momentum, adding several goals in quick succession, including contributions from Ben Dorbish and Ryan McDaniel, pushing ahead in the scoring. The Lakers faced challenges in maintaining possession, resulting in turnovers that allowed Queens to increase their lead. Despite being down, Mercyhurst's Colin Tardif scored again, assisted by Darrin Santos, during a man-up opportunity at 1:20 to cut the deficit. However, Queens held firm defensively, and the quarter ended with Queens leading 14-11.

Colin Tardif led the Lakers offense with four goals on six shots, including a power-play goal. Matthew Belles contributed significantly with two goals and three assists, finishing with five points. Mason Blakeman was efficient, scoring two goals on two shots, one of which was unassisted. Robert Madden added two goals, registering seven shots with four on target. The Green and Blue have an overall record of 1-4. Queens has an overall record of 2-2.

The Lakers will travel to Binghamton to face the Bearcats Friday at 3:00 p.m.