The St. Mary’s College of Maryland men’s lacrosse team secured a decisive 13-8 non-conference road victory over Eastern University on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. The win snapped a brief skid for the Seahawks, improving their record to 6-4 overall, while dropping Eastern to 1-8.
Junior attackmen Declan Horton from University Park, Maryland (DeMatha), and Gavin McKay from Urbana, Maryland (Urbana), each delivered three goals to lead the offensive charge. Horton added three assists for a game-high six points, marking a season-best performance, while McKay contributed one assist alongside his scoring output.
M 6′ 0″ Sophomore Data Science Credit: Reid Silverman / St. Mary's College of Maryland
The Seahawks built momentum early, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter with two quick goals in 43 seconds. Eastern’s Maxwell Forrey scored the Eagles’ first goal with 4:21 left in the period. St. Mary’s extended the advantage in the second quarter, alternating early goals before closing the half on a 3-0 run, including a tally from sophomore midfielder Gavin Phipps (Mayo, Maryland/South River) with 15 seconds remaining, for a 7-2 halftime edge.
Eastern mounted a push in the third quarter, scoring three unanswered goals to narrow the deficit to 7-5. The Seahawks responded with goals from Horton and Phipps around an Eagles tally, carrying a 9-6 lead into the fourth. St. Mary’s then opened the final period with a 3-1 spurt to reach a 13-7 cushion with 8:16 left. Eastern added one late goal at 4:15, but turnovers in the closing minutes prevented any comeback.
St. Mary’s dominated key stats, outshooting Eastern 37-30 and winning the ground ball battle 33-28. Seniors Matteo Ciccarello (Crofton, Maryland/Arundel) and Joe Szymanski (Easton, Maryland/Easton) combined for 13 ground balls. Ciccarello anchored faceoff wins, helping the Seahawks claim 14 of 25 draws. Sophomore goalie Ty Spencer (Hanover, Maryland/Indian Creek) recorded 11 saves and two ground balls.
Additional contributors included sophomore midfielder Carson Giannelli (Perry Hall, Maryland/Curley) with two goals and senior midfielder Nick Machiran (Ellicott City, Maryland/Mt. Hebron) with one goal and three assists for four points. For Eastern, Frankie Fanelli led with two goals and one assist, while goalie Brendan Kim made seven stops.
This road triumph provides a boost for the Seahawks as they prepare for a demanding stretch in Southern Maryland’s competitive lacrosse landscape. St. Mary’s College, located in St. Mary’s City, draws significant local support from Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties, where high school programs feed into the Division III roster and community interest remains high for Seahawks athletics.
The victory highlights strong offensive balance and defensive resilience, positioning the team well in non-conference play ahead of upcoming challenges. The Seahawks next travel to Buena Vista, Virginia, for a 4 p.m. matchup against Southern Virginia University (3-6) on March 24, followed by a noon game at Penn College (9-2) in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, on March 28.
