THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime Men's Lacrosse team fell at home as the Privateers dropped a 10-7 decision to the Coast Guard Bears on Wednesday afternoon on Reinhart Field.
 
Maritime was led by sophomores Ian Danahy (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South), with three goals, and classmate Nick Pellegrino (Melville, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East), with one goal and two assists for three points each. Sophomore Julius Diaz (Freeport, N.Y./Freeport) added two goals, while senior Kevin Connolly (Babylon, N.Y./Babylon) added a goal, and sophomore T.J. Ragusa (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) collected an assist.
 
On faceoffs, senior Matt Hayes (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) was 11-for-18, as he and classmate Jonathan Strezenec (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun) each had six ground balls. Pellegrino led the team with seven ground ball pickups, with Ragusa adding four of his own. Strezenec and senior Jordan Rose (Levittown, N.Y./Holy Trinity) both led the Privateers with two caused turnovers each.
 
In goal, sophomore Brendan McNally (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) registered 15 saves, while yielding the 10 Bear goals on the game.
 
Coast Guard jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead just 46 seconds into the contest. The Privateers had an extended offensive run, and even had a man-up chance but failed to capitalize in the early minutes. Diaz broke through with 5:04 left in the first quarter as he tied the game at one.
 
The Privateers closed out the period with another extended offensive possession, which resulted in Pellegrino's 16th goal of the season to put the Privateers ahead for the first time on the afternoon.
 
In the second quarter, Coast Guard surged for five unanswered goals through the opening 10:01 of the period. Connolly got on the scoreboard for the first time this season off a pass from Ragusa to trim the deficit in half with 3:29 left in the quarter.
 
Coast Guard added one more tally in the half with 2:03 left, as the Bears opened up a four-goal advantage at 7-3 heading into the halftime break.
 
Neither side scored through the opening 10:43 of the third quarter, but Maritime was first to get on the board as Danahy collected his 13th goal of the year to pull Maritime back within three. Danahy recorded his second straight goal less than a minute later, followed by the second goal of the game for Diaz as the Privateers pulled back within one at 7-6 with 2:38 left in the third quarter.
 
The Bears took back a two-goal lead in the final minute of play to move ahead by an 8-6 score with 15 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
In the fourth, Coast Guard made it a three-goal lead with a goal at 11:30 of the fourth quarter, Maritime responded just 17 seconds later as Danahy took a feed from Pellegrino to make the game 9-7. The Bears scored once more to close out the game and emerge with the 10-7 victory.
 
Maritime (4-2) will be back in action next Wednesday, when the team travels to Purchase, N.Y. to take on the Manhattanville Valiants as the two former Skyline Conference foes renew their rivalry. Over the past four years, the Privateers and Valiants have played to games of a two-goal difference or fewer, including an epic comeback victory in 2013.
 
Coast Guard (4-2) will close out the month of March with a non-conference matchup against Regis (Mass.) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. from Cadet Memorial Field in Connecticut.