Senior John Murray has been one of the Pioneers’ most consistent performers and played a key role in their comeback win against Merrimack on Saturday, March 7. With Sacred Heart trailing by three goals entering the fourth quarter, Murray scored three of his five goals in the final period to help secure the victory and keep the team undefeated.
Source: Greg Vasil, Sacred Heart University
Late-game resilience has become a defining trait for the Pioneers this season. Three of their seven wins have come in games where they trailed entering the fourth quarter.
“We’ve never really been in a game where we thought we couldn’t come back,” said Murray. “We’re comfortable late in games, and when the fourth quarter comes around, we’ve played our best.”
A major factor in Sacred Heart’s ability to close out games has been senior goaltender Craig Daria. In his first season as the team’s starting goalie and captain, Daria has embraced a leadership role while delivering strong performances in net. He has already been named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Defensive Player of the Week three times this season.
“I feel like I’ve become more of a vocal leader this season and have put everything together – on the field and in the locker room,” said Daria. “I’ve just been trying to lead my teammates and play my best while putting the team in the best position to succeed.”
While experienced teams often rely heavily on upperclassmen for scoring production, Sacred Heart has received contributions from players across all four classes. First-year attacker Jake Carney has emerged as one of the team’s most productive newcomers, earning MAAC Rookie of the Week honors each week so far this season and recording multiple goals in all but one game.
Carney said the program’s culture and senior leadership helped him adjust quickly to the college level. He is part of an attack unit that entered the season without any returning starters from last year, which is uncommon in college lacrosse.
“This group is very tight-knit, and they’ve helped me adjust to this level much faster,” said Carney. “One thing I remember from when I was a recruit was the program’s emphasis on being tight-knit, and they’ve been great since I got here.”
Head coach Jon Basti said he believes his team still has room to grow as conference play continues.
“The sky is the limit for this group,” said Basti. “Conference play is a different level, but we think we haven’t come close to our peak yet.”
The team currently sits with an overall record of 7-0 and a conference record of 2-0 after defeating Mount St. Mary’s University 17-9 on Saturday.
The Pioneers will continue their quest for a second MAAC championship on March 21 when they host Canisius College at noon on Campus Field.
Athletic Communications contributed to this article
