POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (4/22/2017) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team scored the final five goals in the game, but just could not find the equalizer on its last possession as the Titans fell 7-6 at Marist on Saturday afternoon.

It was the seventh time in 11 career meetings between the two schools that the final outcome was decided by just one goal.  

The loss drops Detroit Mercy to 5-9 on the season and 3-3 in the MAAC as the Titans will now need Marist to beat Siena next week in order to claim the fourth seed and final spot in the MAAC Championships. Marist improved to 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the league as the Red Foxes clinched a playoff berth and can finish as high as No. 2 in the standings with a win next week and a loss by Canisius (at Quinnipiac). 

Sophomore Patrick Walsh led the offense with a career-tying two goals, while redshirt freshman Connor Bennardo handed out a career-best two assists. Juniors Lucas Ducharme, Alec Gilhooly and Charlie Hayes along with freshman Donavon Dempsey all had goals and senior Jason Weber made 10 saves in net.

The Titans – who once trailed 6-0 early in the third quarter but shutout Marist in the last 20 minutes of the contest – stormed back to pull within 7-6 with 2:28 remaining. The defense did its job holding the Red Foxes off the scoreboard as Weber came up with a big save with under a minute left.

After a timeout, the Titans started their possession, but just could not get one more clean look at the goal as their last shot sailed wide and Marist regained the ball and ran off the final few seconds. 

Hayes and Weber picked up a team-high three ground balls, while juniors Will Kane and Pat Masterson recorded a caused turnover apiece. Senior Ben Gjokaj was 6-of-12 in faceoffs and freshman Seth Mendell added an assist.

The Titans outshot Marist, 36-29, and were a perfect 17-of-17 on clears. Detroit Mercy also set a school record with just eight turnovers 

Detroit Mercy got off to a slow start as Marist scored the first six goals, but the Titans began their comeback in the third as Bennardo hooked up with Walsh and he erased the zeros on the board at the 9:38 mark. After a Marist goal, Ducharme fired one in to make it 7-2 with just 19 ticks left in the third.

In the fourth, the Titans took advantage of a Red Foxes' penalty and Gilhooly netted a goal with the man-up to make it 7-3 with 14:32 on the clock and then just eight seconds later off a faceoff win, Hayes beat the goalie and it was 7-4. 

The Titan defense kept Marist at bay and then Bennardo fed Walsh, who found the back of the net and the red, white and blue was within two, 7-5, with 8:21 left. The two teams were scoreless for almost the next six minutes when off a saved shot and rebound, Dempsey picked up the ground ball and put one in and it was a 7-6 game.

The Titans will have one more game left in the regular season as they visit first-year program Cleveland State next Saturday, April 29. Game time is set for 7 p.m., the same time as the pivotal Marist-Siena match-up. 

Game Notes:
Marist leads the all-time series, 7-4…. Detroit Mercy is 0-5 all-time on the road against Marist… Nine of the 11 games have been decided by three goals or less, including seven by one goal and two going into overtime… Monmouth won the regular season title and will be the No. 1 seed, while Canisius and Marist have clinched playoff berths... Ducharme now has eight points on the season, eclipsing his career high in points of seven he had last year… Hayes now has seven career goals – all in conference play… Walsh also had two goals at Robert Morris earlier in the year, while he has totaled two points five times in his career… Bennardo came into the game with just two assists on the season… Matthew Vangalen, who is chasing the school single-season point record, was held scoreless and still sits five away from tying the 49-point mark of Shayne Adams in 2014… Senior Kyle Beauregard made his 36th career start, 10th in school history… Weber has now made double-digit saves in 42 of his 51 career games…