The men’s lacrosse team was greatly tested in two road contests against the No. 1 Loyola Greyhounds on April 17 and a Patriot League Tournament matchup against the Colgate Raiders on April 22. Although the team made vast improvements after their 13-5 loss to the Greyhounds, a double-overtime 10-9 defeat at the hands of the Raiders resulted in the conclusion of a challenging season for the Bison.

The Orange and Blue headed to Loyola, Md. to take on the country’s most successful lacrosse team this season. Although Sam Grinberg ’15 made 13 saves and the Bison’s defensive effort was quite strong, the Greyhounds outshot the Orange and Blue 42-34 and stood strong in front of a strong defensive showing of their own.

The Bison offensive unit was unable to crack the defensive game of the Greyhounds until the fourth quarter when Sean Doyle ’16, Thomas Flibotte ’16, and Peter Burke ’14 were able to find the net and record four goals. However, the fourth-quarter goals were no match for the Loyola offensive unit, which kept pressure on the Bison throughout the game. At the conclusion of regulation, the Bison were named the No. 5 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, putting them in place to take on No. 4 Colgate on April 22.

The Orange and Blue headed up to Hamilton, N.Y. for a 4 p.m. start at Andy Kerr Stadium against the Raiders, and despite an increase in offensive pressure, a single defensive lapse in the second overtime cost the Orange and Blue a trip to the semifinals.

Ryan Joseph ’15 and Todd Heritage ’14 recorded four goals apiece and David Dickson ’15 captured the 100th assist of his career.

“I was successful because of my teammates, working hard and making plays to get me the ball, as my coaches put me in a position to be dangerous,” Joseph said.

The game fluctuated from the beginning, as each team consistently evened out the score after the opponent found the back of the net. Once again, Grinberg had an outstanding performance and captured a career-high 16 saves throughout the match.

The defense also impressed with 19 caused turnovers, as they managed to keep the game tight despite losing 20 of 24 faceoffs and falling behind 46-19 in ground balls. Three consecutive successful goals put the Bison temporarily in the third quarter, but Colgate battled back for a 9-8 lead with 4:44 to play. A goal by Heritage forged a tie and forced overtime. 

The overtime match was nail-biting, with crucial saves by both teams’ keepers forcing the score to stay even until 1:48 left in the second extra period. A Raider attackman was able to scoop up a rebound and secure a spot in the Patriot League semi-final with a goal.

“We want this season to fuel our fire. We need to use this tough season as motivation to be better next year, and have a chip on our shoulders every time we step on the field,” Joseph said.

However, the final score not only marked the concluding game of the season, but also the final time seven Bison seniors would take the field.

Heritage offered advice to his teammates before departing.

“Cherish every moment because four years goes quick. Do all the little things right as that will make you not a good team, but a great team. And work to build relationships because your friends on this team will be there forever,” Heritage said.