PATCHOGUE, N.Y. (March 28, 2026) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's lacrosse team opened Skyline Conference action in dominant fashion on Saturday evening, defeating St. Joseph's-Long Island, 20-2, on the road at the Golden Eagles' Danzi Field. The Mariners seized control early with a seven-goal first quarter and never looked back, combining efficient offense with suffocating defensive pressure throughout. With the win, USMMA improves to 5-4 overall (1-0 Skyline), while SJLI falls to 3-4 (0-1 Skyline).
 
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• Box Score 

Senior Owen Barcus (Annapolis, Md.) and sophomore Landon Locke (Midlothian, Va.) led the Mariners with five points apiece, as Barcus netted five goals and Locke tallied three goals and two assists. Sophomore Thomas Dekanich (Edwards, Colo.) added four goals, while freshman Nathan Mangus (Sugar Land, Texas) contributed three points on a goal and two assists. Freshman Dylan Sullivan (Warwick, N.Y.) and senior Kyle Hennelly (Dacula, Ga.) each added two goals, while senior Jack DeTommaso (Massapequa, N.Y.), senior William Badeer (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and freshman Ryan Sullivan (Warwick, N.Y.) also found the back of the net.
 
Defensively, the Mariners controlled possession from start to finish, holding a commanding 48-21 advantage in ground balls while forcing 32 turnovers. USMMA also dominated at the face-off X, winning 19-of-24 draws, and limited St. Joseph's-Long Island to just 11-for-28 on clearing attempts. Senior Adam Johnson (Canton, Ohio) won a team-best nine face-offs and also led the Mariners with five ground balls, while junior Luke Holava (Virginia Beach, Va.) added four GBs. Four Mariners recorded two caused turnovers apiece to pace a balanced defensive effort. In goal, junior Julian Garcia (Lakeway, Texas), senior Tucker Swinerton (Weston, Fla.), and sophomore Jack Stehlik (Hood River, Ore.) combined to make four saves while allowing just two goals over 60 minutes.
 
The tone was established early. After a brief feeling-out period, the Mariners broke through with a sustained run, scoring six consecutive goals over a 10-minute stretch in the opening quarter. Barcus and Locke each struck during the surge, while DeTommaso and Badeer also found the back of the net as USMMA built a 6-0 advantage. St. Joseph's got on the board late in the period, but Barcus responded just seconds later to send the Mariners into the second quarter ahead 7-1.
 
USMMA continued to press in the second quarter, adding four more goals to extend the margin to 11-1 at halftime. Barcus and Mangus scored early in the frame, while Locke and Barcus connected again late to push the lead into double digits. The Mariners' ride continued to disrupt SJLI's clearing game, limiting the Golden Eagles' ability to sustain any offensive rhythm.
 
The third quarter followed a similar script as USMMA added six more goals while holding St. Joe's to just one. Hennelly and Ryan Sullivan each found the back of the net early in the period, while DeTommaso and Dylan Sullivan contributed during another extended run that stretched the lead to 17-2 entering the fourth.
 
With the outcome well in hand, the Mariners continued to rotate personnel in the final quarter while maintaining control. Dekanich added two more goals in the period to complete his four-goal performance, and Dylan Sullivan capped the scoring as USMMA closed out the 20-2 victory.
 
USMMA finished with advantages in shots (70-11), shots on goal (40-6), ground balls (48-21), and face-offs (19-5), highlighting a complete performance on both ends of the field.
 
St. Joseph's-Long Island was led by Caden Stubba, who dished out two assists. Ryan Schildt and Matt Cioffi accounted for the Golden Eagles' two goals. Goalkeeper John Marino made 20 saves in the loss.
 
The Mariners return to action on Thursday night, April 2, when they host conference rival Farmingdale State in a rematch of the 2025 Skyline Championship Game. Opening face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Brooks Stadium.
 
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