THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – It took the Maritime men's lacrosse team one month since their season began to play their first game on Reinhart Field as the Privateers played host to the Kean Cougars. In what was a defensive struggle throughout, the Cougars came out on top as Kean won by a 5-3 score.
 
The key to the game was the success of junior goalkeeper Brendan McNally (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach), who set a new career high with 22 saves on the afternoon in the loss. McNally's save total is also tied for fifth on the single-game record list, and is the highest save total for a Privateer netminder since the 2009 season, when Colin Gallagher '10, had 25 saves against Western Connecticut.
 
Senior Kevin Izzo (Cutchogue, N.Y./Mattituck) along with freshmen Jackson Specht (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview Regional) and Danny Connell (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) scored the three Privateer goals, while sophomores Ian Ziemski (Bel Air, Md./C. Milton Wright), and Patrick Fay (Nanuet, N.Y./Nanuet). Freshman Nick San Filippo (Freehold, N.J./Colts Neck) returned to form and won 75% of his draws, winning 8-for-12. San Filippo was one of the team's five leaders in the ground ball department, as he along with juniors T.J. Ragusa (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) and Nick Pellegrino (Melville, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East), and freshmen Jackson Specht (Mullica Hill, N.J./Clearview Regional) and Ciaran McEnroe (Pearl River, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)) each had four loose ball pickups.
 
Pellegrino and classmates Paul Lafrancesca (Nesconset, N.Y./Sachem North) and Joseph Hussey (Massapequa, N.Y./St. Anthony's) each caused a pair of turnovers on the game.
 
Neither side was able to score in the first period as McNally made seven saves and his counterpart made nine.
 
Moving to the second quarter, the Privateers scored 35 seconds into the second quarter as Specht picked up his third tally of the season. Kean scored the next two goals of the period, and took a 2-1 lead into the halftime break.
 
After the intermission Kean took a 3-1 lead on an extra-man opportunity but Maritime did not go down as the Cougars had hoped.
 
Connell scored with 5:28 left in the quarter to cut the lead back down to one, Izzo got on the scoreboard with a ball that was sent just outside the crease and fell to the ground. Izzo swept the ball off the ground and into the goal to even the game at three with 4:03 left in the quarter. Kean picked up one more goal before the period was over to take a 4-3 lead into the final stanza.
 
The fourth quarter once again turned into a defensive chess match as Kean and Maritime remained in a one-goal difference until the final two minutes. The Cougars added the insurance goal with 1:58 left in regulation, before the final horn sounded to give Kean the 5-3 victory.
 
Final stats saw Maritime lead in the shot differential with 40 to Kean's 37; however the Privateers were only able to muster just 13 in the second half after tallying 27 shots in the opening 30 minutes. The Privateers also led in saves with McNally's 22 to Kean's 18 stops in goal.
 
Clears were fairly even with Maritime finishing at a 21-for-27, while Kean was 19-for-27. Maritime also led the ground ball category with a 48-30 advantage.
 
Maritime (3-4, 1-1 Skyline) will continue Skyline Conference play on Wednesday evening, when the team plays host to Purchase for a 7 p.m. start on Reinhart Field. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
 
Kean (3-4, 1-1 Skyline) will play on the road for their second straight game away from home, when the team travels to Farmingdale on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. on Long Island.