THROGGS NECK, N.Y. – The Maritime men's lacrosse team picked up its second win of the season on Wednesday evening as the Privateers defeated the Drew Rangers by a 17-11 score on Reinhart Field.
 
Maritime was led by senior Nick Pellegrino (Melville, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East), who scored six goals on the game tying his career-high for goals in a game. His six goals were two shy of the single-game record of eight goals, which had been done in both the 2007 and 2013 seasons. Pellegrino accomplished his previous six-goal feat against Purchase a season ago on March 29.
 
In addition to Pellegrino's six-goal performance, Maritime also got three goals from freshman Matt DeMeo (Sayville, N.Y./Sayville). Senior T.J. Ragusa (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh), junior Ian Danahy (West Nyack, N.Y./Clarkstown South), and sophomore Danny Connell (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) all had two goals apiece on the game. Freshmen Joey Manno (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber) and Collin Flannery (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham-Wading River) also scored goals on the game.
 
Connell ended the game with four points as he led the Privateers with two assists, while juniors Michael Petty (Port Washington, N.Y./Paul D. Schreiber) and Justin Weigold (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington), along with sophomore Mark Buchner (Wantagh, N.Y./Wantagh) all had solo assists.
 
Defensively Buchner had two caused turnovers as he along with Pellegrino and sophomore Ciaran McEnroe (Pearl River, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep (N.J.)) each forced a pair of Ranger giveaways. Weigold also had one forced turnover on the night. Manno led the Privateers with seven ground balls as he won eight faceoffs, while Pellegrino and freshman Bryan Keegan (Lake Grove, N.Y./Sachem North) added four ground balls apiece.
 
In goal senior Brendan McNally (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) made 11 stops as he recorded his second win in as many games this season.
 
Maritime got out to a quick start as Danahy got on the board first off a pass from Petty with 7:41 left in the opening quarter. Ragusa scored his first of the night, followed by a goal from Connell to give Maritime a 3-0 lead. Drew scored next before DeMeo answered off of a pass from Connell. After the second Drew goal of the quarter, DeMeo responded with a buzzer-beating goal off a lead from Connell to give Maritime a 5-2 lead.
 
Drew scored the opening two goals of the second quarter to pull the Rangers within one goal with just over three minutes gone by in the stanza.
 
Pellegrino got his night going with his first goal at the 8:06 mark of the second quarter, before scoring again 90 seconds later to bump Maritime's lead back to three. Drew scored the next goal before Flannery capped off the scoring in the half and give Maritime an 8-5 lead heading into the intermission.
 
Danahy opened the second half with a goal before the Rangers netted the next two goals as the Rangers refused to let Maritime extend its lead. Ragusa added his second of the game with 8:43 to go before Pellegrino scored the next two goals to give Maritime a 12-7 lead. Drew scored once more in the third to cut the deficit to four before the clock expired on the third quarter.
 
DeMeo scored to open the fourth quarter of play before Manno won the ensuing faceoff and scored just 10 seconds later to give Maritime a six-goal lead. Drew scored the next three before Connell put an end to the Ranger run, before Pellegrino added two more goals to cap off the Privateer scoring at 17-11.
 
As a team Maritime was outshot 36-29, but the Privateers converted on their opportunities scoring on 58.6% of their shots including a perfect 5-for-5 in the fourth quarter and a combined 9-of-11 in the second half. Maritime was also 12-of-16 on clears and added 29 ground balls on the night.
 
Maritime (2-0) will be back in action on Friday, March 9 as the team plays their first game of the 2018 Maritime Cup. The Privateers will face-off against the Maine Maritime Mariners for a 3 p.m. start on Reinhart Field.
 
Drew (0-3) will head on the road this Saturday, March 3 for a 12 p.m. start against the Centenary (N.J.) Cyclones in Hackettstown, N.J.