Spiders secure victory over Mercyhurst by the largest margin in program history

The University of Richmond men’s lacrosse team claimed a 23-3 win over Mercyhurst University at the Robins Stadium on March 4. 

The No. 13 Spiders proved to be too much for the Lakers who only joined Division I this year. Moving from Division II was an adjustment as the Lakers opened the year with four losses, before carding their first DI win against Hampton University on March 2. 

While Mercyhurst was looking to card another win, the Spiders were trying to lick their wounds from a heartbreaking 12-11 loss against No. 3 Cornell University on March 2. Richmond got the win it was seeking as they dominated Mercyhurst by 20 points, the largest margin in program history. 

The Spiders opened the game with a strong performance, sweeping the Lakers 10-0 in the first half. Freshman midfielder Daniel Picart put the first points on the board five minutes into the first quarter. While Richmond went on a 4-0 run for the rest of the period, the Lakers struggled on both ends of the field. Their shots continued to go wide while Richmond pushed past their defenses. Senior attacker Max Merklinger managed back-to-back goals with two minutes on the clock, concluding the quarter.  

The second quarter only furthered UR’s advantage. The Spiders recorded two goals in the first minute of the quarter bringing the score to 6-0. Shortly after, Richmond  netted three goals in just a minute and a half. Sophomore midfielder Brayden Penafeather-Stevenson tallied his first goal of the season before a scoring drought incited for the last seven and a half minutes of the half, leaving the score 10-0. 

Securing faceoffs aided the Spiders in scoring, which they heavily outmatched the Lakers in. Richmond tallied 19 shots on goal, while Mercyhurst trailed with one. 

“Today we had more healthy [faceoffs] than we’ve had in some prior games,”  Head Coach Dan Chemotti said in a postgame interview. 

The Lakers snapped the Spiders’ 12-0 run five minutes into the third period, ruining any hopes of a shutout. The opposition’s goal invigorated Richmond as it answered with five goals in a little more than two minutes. Mercyhurst snagged one more goal with 11 seconds on the clock. 

The Spiders continued its offensive campaign in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lakers 6-1. Mercyhurst managed the last goal of the game, but were still led by the Spiders 23-3 at the buzzer. 

Fresh faces for the Spiders showed a strong performance. Freshman attacker Porter Barnett netted his first goal of the season before continuing to score four more points with two goals and assists. Junior attacker Leo Caine also had five points with five goals. Richmond cleared the bench as 18 Spiders tallied points, totaling 35 points, tying the sixth-most in a single game for the Spiders.

“You know, it was really, really fun to watch,” Chemotti said. “[...] They give a great effort in practice. We’ve got a lot of talented players.”

Three goalkeepers defended the Spiders’ cage during the game, each allowing one goal. 

Next up, Richmond will face University of Maryland Baltimore County at the Robins Stadium on March 8. 

“UMBC is always super tough,” Chemotti said. “[They’re] really well coached, really talented guys.”

The Spiders have defeated Retrievers the last three times they have faced them. UMBC has had time to rest since Towson University snapped its 2 game win streak on Feb. 28. 

Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu