The No.3 Adelphi University men's lacrosse team used two five-goal periods to power its way past No.2 Merrimack earlier this afternoon at Motamed Field. The Panthers came away with a 17-8 victory on Senior Day in their last home game of the regular season. Prior to the opening faceoff, the athletic department recognized nine members of the graduating class in Mark Andrejack, Tyler O'Brien, Justin Scalise, Jack Thomann, Brendan McDougal, Michael Papach, Michael Osmundsen, Brian Smith and Ian Kirby. This group helped Adelphi to a Final Four appearance in 2017, the year in which the Panthers also reached the NE10 finals. It was the men's lacrosse team's first appearance in the national semifinals in six years. Overall, these seniors have helped the Panthers to an overall record of 51-14 to date, with three appearances in the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament and two NCAA Division II tournament berths. The Brown and Gold (14-1, 9-1 NE-10) had eight different players register at least one goal with both Nicolas Racalbuto and Ian Kirby tallying four goals apiece. Additionally, the duo combined for six assists and amassed a total of 14 points. John Arcidiacono chipped in with three goals while teammate James Hall did his part with two. In cage for the Panthers, Brendan McDougal played all 60 minutes and made 10 saves while securing the victory. Adelphi dominated the stat sheet as a team, scooping up 47 ground balls to Merrimack's 14. The Panthers also won an impressive 26 of 28 face-offs with 25 of them being credited to Mark Andrejack, who also picked up 16 ground balls. Finally, they out-shot their opponents 51-33 and had more shots on goal, 34-18. Merrimack (11-2, 9-1 NE-10) is third in the nation in scoring average (17.25) but the Panther defense held them to their lowest goal total this season. Additionally, the Warrior's Charlie Bertrand, the NCAA DII leader in goals per game (5.50) was held to just three scores. Although Christian Thomas of the visitors struck first just 2:29 into the game, the Panthers fired back with five unanswered goals coming from the sticks of five different players to round out the opening period. It was a high-scoring second quarter with each team notching four goals apiece. Bertrand recorded two for the Warriors while Kirby accounted for three to help keep his team ahead as they broke for halftime, up 9-5. Racalbuto secured his second goal of the game to start the third period which sparked a 4-0 Panther run and was finally stopped by a Bertrand, unassisted score. With 1:40 left in the period, Angelo Caiazzo found the back of the cage to give his team the 14-6 lead heading into the final 15 minutes of play. The visitors capitalized on two penalties and scored on man-up opportunities, but would not be able to erase the six-goal deficit. The Brown and Gold added three more insurance goals courtesy of Hall, Michael Zito and Arcidiacono to put the icing on the cake. The Panthers are back in action on Tuesday, April 23 when they head north to Rindge, New Hampshire to take on NE10 foe Franklin Pierce at 3 p.m. in the final game of the regular season. The men's lacrosse team is currently in a three-way tie with Merrimack and Le Moyne for first place. About Adelphi Athletics A regionally and nationally competitive NCAA Division II institution located in Garden City, N.Y., Adelphi University has been a proud member of the Northeast-10 Conference since 2009. Winners of 16 NCAA Division II National Championships and four NE10 Presidents' Cups, Panther athletes have excelled at the conference, regional and national level, both on the field of play and in the classroom. In turn, the Adelphi athletic department is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, equity and success where its student-athletes can thrive both on campus and off. Stay connected with Adelphi Athletics by following the Panthers at aupanthers.com or via social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and wear your Panther pride by shopping official Adelphi Panthers gear at our licensed team store.