Spring sun, deep blue skies, and picturesque greenery encapsulated the environment at Don Shula Stadium on Sat., April 15. 

Better yet, the afternoon doubled as the scene for a dominant, 20-3 victory over Marietta for John Carroll Men’s Lacrosse. The offensive and defense success were inevitable amongst a talented and determined crew of Blue Streaks.

The intensity began early with a swift goal from Colin Morrissey ‘26. Morrissey was followed by the shadow of Matt Berdysiak ‘23, who tapped in for a goal just two minutes after the opening score.

On Saturday, Morgan Morrell ‘23 tallied up some pivotal statistics. Morrell was responsible for the third goal of the game for the Blue and Gold, but that wouldn’t be the end of his MVP caliber performance. Morrell finished the afternoon with six goals and three assists, showing how veteran experience leads to overall team triumph.

But several other Blue Streaks found themselves tallying in the goal category over the weekend. Alexander Sykas ‘24 was credited with the fourth goal of the game to close out the initial quarter.

As the first half progressed, it was obvious that John Carroll possessed the majority of the momentum. In the second quarter, the Pioneers struggled to make transitional plays, leaving the ball in the sticks of a dynamic Blue Streaks offense.

Berdysiak, Max Cook ‘24, Josh Lombardo ‘26, Vinny Fiorella ‘23, and Morrell all found the back of the net, giving John Carroll an 11-0 lead heading into the locker room at the half.

The atmosphere stayed the same for the remainder of the game, aside from a brief stint of offensive success for Marietta in the third quarter. 

The Pioneers got on the board with three minutes left in the third, but that would be after a plethora of goals from Morrell, Berdysiak, Fiorella, and Morrissey. After three, the score stood at 18-1.

The final quarter consisted of some substitutions for John Carroll as Jeremy Urban ‘24 and Oliver Hammond ‘23 earning some minutes in net, relieving Jon Gaglio ‘23.

Marietta solidified things on offense, but the deficit created by John Carroll proved to be too much to handle. Disciplined defense from Conor Ryan ‘23 hindered a valiant effort from Marietta. Ryan finished the day with four caused turnovers and two ground balls.

After a long afternoon, John Carroll was thrilled to earn a sizable win, foreshadowing what looks like the potential for a dominant postseason.

In their third to last game of the season, the Blue Streaks head to Alliance, OH for a game against Mount Union. The showdown is set to take place on Wed., April 19 at 7:00 p.m.