2018 Men’s Lacrosse Year in Review: #66 Marist Red Foxes

With the 2018 college lacrosse season complete, it’s time to start looking back at how all 71 teams did during the season, as well as what to expect from each squad for 2019.

We started looking ahead to 2019 with a few of our team recaps last week, kicking things off with Hampton, NJIT, VMI, Dartmouth, and Lafayette. We also checked in with newcomers St. Bonaventure and Utah.

So with that, let’s continue the recaps!

#66 Marist Red Foxes

Conference: MAAC
2018 Record: 3-12 (2-4 in MAAC play)
Head coach: Keegan Wilkinson (7th Year)

Statistical Leaders

Goals: Gannon Morrison (28)
Assists: Gannon Morrison (26)
Points: Gannon Morrison (54)
Faceoffs: Peyton Smith (98-of-200; 49%)
Ground balls: Nick Nye (47)
Caused turnovers: James Sarrocco (14)
Goals against average: Brian Corrigan (11.06 GAA)
Save percentage: Brian Corrigan (51.4%)

Personnel Losses

Key seniors departing: G Brian Corrigan (11.06 GAA, 51.4% SV%), A Gannon Morrison (28 Gs, 26 As), LSM Nick Nye (47 GBs, 13 CTs), M Kyle Quinn (7 Gs, 3 As, 8 GBs), M Mitchell Standera (7 Gs, 1 A), FOGO Matt Galioto (55-of-133 (41.4%), 5 GBs)
Senior scoring departing: 74 of 186 points (39.8%)
Senior starts lost: 56 of 150 (37.3%)

Season Summary

It wasn’t the best of seasons for Keegan Wilkinson and the Red Foxes. They won only three games in 2018, their fewest since they won four games in 2009 in Scott Nelson’s first season as head coach. It was also the team’s first sub-.500 season since 2014.

Half of their losses came within four goals, and their only nonconference win came against Binghamton. The opponents they defeated (including Manhattan and Siena) were a combined 11-30 on the season.

Senior Gannon Morrison had a terrific season at midfield, leading the team with 28 goals and 26 assists. Down at attack, he had sophomore Joe Tierney, freshman Jason Intermesoli, and redshirt-freshman Jake Weinman, who finished second, third, and fourth respectively on the team in points. Kyle Quinn and Jon Constant contributed on offense as well from the midfield.

Coming into the season, the defense was going to be a strength on Marist, especially in goal with Brian Corrigan. However, he recorded career-lows in both goals against average and save percentage. After allowing 7.45 goals a game with a 62.7% save percentage in 2017, those numbers ballooned to an 11.06 GAA and 51.4% save percentage in his final run. The defense did have Nick Nye and James Sarrocco leading the way.

The season started with high expectations after making it back to the MAAC Championship last year. With Monmouth losing many of their key guys, it looked like a wide open opportunity for the Red Foxes to take. It ended up going the complete opposite with Marist not even making the conference tournament and watching Canisius with a first-year head coach take the conference crown.

Looking Ahead

Morrison, Nye, and Corrigan are big losses for Wilkinson’s group. But talking to him and his staff last weekend, he seemed very positive on the outlook of next year’s squad.

The big question will be who takes over in goal for Corrigan. Wilkinson mentioned a two-way battle between redshirt-freshman Jake MacGregor and redshirt-sophomore Kevin McKendry. MacGregor only appeared in one game, allowing four goals in eight minutes against Colgate in the second game of the season. McKendry appeared in six games giving up five goals and making two saves in over 19 minutes of game time.

The starting attack and two thirds of the midfield will return, as well as two starting defensemen and FOGO Peyton Smith. If the Red Foxes can find a solid netminder to replace Corrigan in 2019, Marist could be back in contention for a MAAC championship.

Here’s who the Red Foxes will be adding to their roster for next year.*

*Compiled from a multitude of websites. Schools usually officially announce their recruiting class during the fall semester.