KINGS POINT, N.Y. (April 2, 2026) – The USMMA men's lacrosse team secured a huge Skyline Conference victory on Thursday night, defeating reigning conference champs Farmingdale State, 12-8, at Brooks Stadium. The Mariners built a strong first-half lead behind a five-goal second quarter and then relied on their defense in the second half to hold off multiple pushes from the Rams. With the win, USMMA improves to 6-4 overall (2-0 Skyline), while Farmingdale State falls to 7-3 (0-1 Skyline).
 
Game Links

• Box Score
• WATCH: Postgame Interview With Julian Garcia 

Senior Owen Barcus (Annapolis, Md.) and freshman Nathan Mangus (Sugar Land, Texas) led the Mariners with four points apiece, as Barcus recorded three goals and one assist and Mangus totaled two goals and two assists. Junior goalie Julian Garcia (Lakeway, Texas) tied his season-high with 12 saves over 60 minutes to earn the win.
 
Sophomore Landon Locke (Midlothian, Va.) and senior William Badeer (Pittsburgh, Pa.) each added two goals, while freshmen Ryan Sullivan (Warwick, N.Y.) and Dylan Sullivan (Warwick, N.Y.) both contributed two points on a goal and an assist. Sophomore Tucker Kuhn (Towson, Md.) also found the back of the net.
 
Defensively, the Mariners controlled possession throughout, holding a 31-23 advantage in ground balls while forcing 20 turnovers. USMMA also dominated at the face-off X, winning 16-of-22 draws, with Kuhn taking every one and collecting a game-high 14 ground balls. Junior Ryan Thorne (Selden, N.Y.) led the defensive effort with three caused turnovers, while several Mariners contributed to a balanced unit.
 
The tone was established early as USMMA jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Barcus opened the scoring before Locke, Badeer, and Barcus again all found the back of the net during the surge.
 
The second quarter proved decisive. After Kuhn scored his first of the season early in the frame, the Rams finally got on the board to cut into the deficit. However, the Mariners rattled off four goals over the final four minutes of the half, including tallies from Mangus and Dylan Sullivan, to take a commanding 9-1 lead into the break.
 
Farmingdale State showed resilience coming out of halftime, scoring four times in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 12-5. USMMA answered with key goals from Badeer and Barcus during the period to maintain separation, but the Rams continued to generate pressure.
 
The fourth quarter turned into a defensive battle as FSC attempted to claw back into the game. The visitors scored three times in the period, including a man-up goal, but the Mariners' defense held firm down the stretch. Garcia came up with several key saves, and USMMA controlled possessions late to close out the 12-8 victory.
 
USMMA finished with advantages in shots on goal (23-20), ground balls (31-23), and face-offs (16-6), reinforcing the story of the night: a strong first half followed by a composed defensive effort to secure the win.
 
Farmingdale State was led offensively by Casey Fortunato, Joey Forchelli, and Amir Slaughter, who each recorded two goals, while Tommy Mai and William Henry also scored. At the face-off X, Sean Lawson led the Rams with four wins, and goalkeeper Connor Dobson made 11 saves in the loss.
 
The Mariners return to action on Saturday, April 11, when they host SUNY Maritime in Skyline Conference play. Opening face-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Brooks Stadium.