Sacred Heart University Department of Athletics
3-0
Holy Cross
2-2
Pioneers Defeat Holy Cross for Third Straight Win
2/14/2026 6:11:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Murray’s Career-High Five Goals Lead SHU to 15-11 Road Victory
Records
Sacred Heart: 3-0
Holy Cross: 2-2
Stat Leaders:
John Murray: 5 goals
JJ Fox: 3 goals
Matt Pepe: 3 goals
Dom Basti: 1 goal, 2 assists
Ryan Rooney: 1 goal, 1 assist
Will Moulton: 2 assists
Ryan Grove: 11-22 faceoffs, 8 ground balls
Craig Daria: 16 saves (3-0)
How It Happened:
Holy Cross opened the game with four straight goals to take early control in the first quarter. JJ Fox put the Pioneers on the board at the 4:17 mark, but the Crusaders answered to build a 5-1 lead. Murray and Tommy Bull scored back-to-back goals to cut the deficit to 5-3 heading into the second quarter.
Murray and Fox struck again early in the second to tie the game at 5-5. After Holy Cross regained a one-goal edge, Ryan Rooney and Matt Pepe scored consecutive goals to give Sacred Heart its first lead of the day, 7-6. The Crusaders responded with two late goals to take an 8-7 advantage into halftime.
Holy Cross added the first goal of the third quarter to extend its lead to two, but the Pioneers answered with three straight goals from Murray, Pepe, and Fox to reclaim a 10-9 edge. The Crusaders evened the score at 10-10 heading into the final frame.
Sacred Heart dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Holy Cross 5-1. Goals from Dom Basti, Tim Kiely, and two from Murray fueled a four-goal run that gave SHU a 14-10 lead. Holy Cross pulled within three at 4:46, but Pepe netted his third goal of the day to seal the 15-11 victory.
Senior goalkeeper Craig Daria matched his career high with 16 saves, anchoring the defense. At the faceoff X, sophomore Ryan Grove went 11-for-22 and collected eight ground balls to help control possession down the stretch.
Up Next:
Sacred Heart returns home on Wednesday, Feb. 18 to face cross-town rival Fairfield University at 3:00 p.m. on Campus Field.
