Sacred Heart
11-3, 5-3
Iona University
2-15, 2-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iona | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Sacred Heart | 3 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
Pioneers Defeat Iona in Regular Season Finale, Secure Third Place in MAAC Tournament
4/22/2026 6:09:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — Behind a hat trick from first-year Jake Carney and a five-point performance from senior Will Moulton, the Sacred Heart University men's lacrosse team rolled to a 14-6 win over Iona in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) action Wednesday afternoon at home. With the victory, coupled with Manhattan's win over Quinnipiac, the Pioneers clinched third place in the MAAC Tournament.
Records:
Sacred Heart: 11-3 (5-3 MAAC)
Iona: 2-15 (2-6 MAAC)
Stat Leaders:
Will Moulton: 2 goals, 3 assists – 5 points
Matt Pepe: 1 goal, 3 assists – 4 points
Jake Carney: 3 goals – 3 points
John Murray: 2 goals, 1 assist – 3 points
Dom Basti: 1 goal, 1 assist – 2 points
Michael Moreschi: 1 goal, 1 assist – 2 points
James Moran: 2 goals – 2 points
Ryan Grove: 8-13 faceoffs, 5 ground balls
Craig Daria: 11 saves, 4 ground balls & caused turnovers
How It Happened:
The teams traded goals in the opening quarter, as John Murray, Matt Pepe, and Will Moulton each scored to give SHU a 3-2 lead after one.
Sacred Heart took control in the second quarter, holding Iona scoreless while rattling off seven goals from seven different scorers to take a commanding 10-2 lead into halftime.
Carney netted back-to-back goals to open the third quarter, completing his hat trick and extending the lead to 12-2. Iona snapped its scoring drought late in the frame to make it 12-3.
The Gaels opened the fourth-quarter scoring to cut the deficit to eight, but James Moran responded for the Pioneers. The teams traded goals the rest of the way, highlighted by Stephen Rosano's first career goal and Tim McLam's first career assist at the 5:19 mark. Iona scored the game's final goal, but SHU secured the 14-6 victory.
Sacred Heart utilized three faceoff specialists, led by Ryan Grove who went 8-13 with five ground balls, Hunter Molway was 5-7 with three ground balls and James Joel finished 3-4.
Senior goalkeeper Craig Daria made 11 saves and added four ground balls.
The Pioneers capitalized on three man-up opportunities, while Iona committed 11 penalties.
Up Next:
Sacred Heart faces No. 2 seed Marist on Thursday, April 30, at a time to be announced. Top-seeded Siena will host the MAAC Tournament in Loudonville, N.Y. Visit sacredheartpioneers.com for the latest updates.
