LE MOYNE (2-8) vs. College of the Holy Cross (2-10)
Thursday, Apr. 25 - 4:00 p.m.
Ted Grant Field - Syracuse, N.Y.
Video: NEC Front Row
Live Stats: https://lemoynedolphins.com/sidearmstats/mlax/summary
 
Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne men's lacrosse team hopes to end the year on a high note against struggling Holy Cross on Thursday afternoon. The matchup is the first ever meeting between the two programs. It also marks Le Moyne's last game in its 2024 schedule.
 
Holy Cross is in the midst of a brutal losing streak. The Crusaders have dropped nine straight and haven't won since February 17 against Sacred Heart. Holy Cross actually started the year at 2-1 before its rough stretch. After losing their opener to Providence, the Crusaders rattled off back-to-back wins against UMass Lowell and Sacred Heart. Both of those wins are the only time this season that Holy Cross has scored double-digit goals.
 
During the nine-game winless streak, the Crusaders are averaging under 7.5 goals. Their season-high in scoring is 16, which came all the way back on February 10 against UMass Lowell. And on the other side of the ball, it hasn't been pretty for Holy Cross either. They've surrendered 15 or more goals in six of their last seven matchups. Overall, the Crusaders are allowing nearly 16 goals per game over the last two months.
 
Despite recent struggles, senior Matt Major has been a bright spot. The New York native leads Holy Cross with 21 goals this season. Major just had his best performance of the season, slotting five goals past Colgate in a loss. He's scored in all but two contests in 2024. Major consistently fires accurately as well, directing over 71% of his shots on net. He's added three assists, 11 ground balls, and a caused turnover in 12 appearances.
 
Junior Henry Sheehan is another option on offense for the Crusaders. He tops Holy Cross with nine assists this year. Sheehan has recorded two assists in four separate games, including his most recent against Colgate on Saturday, April 20. He also has six goals in 2024, half of which came in a five-point performance against ranked Army on March 9. Sheehan has 15 total points this season, ranking him tied for fourth on the team.
 
Holy Cross wins just under 42% of its faceoffs, with Connor DePiero taking a majority (185 of the team's 313). Holy Cross also is successful on 83.2% of its clears, compared to its opponents' 88.2%. The Crusaders do cause more turnovers than their foes, though.
 
Le Moyne is currently enduring a five-game losing streak of its own after a 14-9 loss against Lafayette on Friday, April 19. The game ended a three-game road trip for the Dolphins. Le Moyne went 2-7 away from home this season. The Dolphins' matchup with Holy Cross on Thursday is just their second home contest of 2024.
 
Graduate midfielder Jack Grooms led Le Moyne with three goals and four points against Lafayette. Grooms took just four shots and scored on all three of his attempts on net. It was his second hat-trick of the year. Grooms' first came in the Dolphins' season opener against Wagner on February 17. In total, he has 10 goals and five assists in 2024.
 
Junior midfielder Ryan Eisenmann was the only other Le Moyne player to score multiple times on Friday. Eisenmann added an assist to the day, ending with three points. He took seven total shots and directed three on goal. Eisenmann has eight goals and four assists this season.
 
Le Moyne's matchup with Holy Cross marks the end of its first season at the Division I level. The Dolphins are looking for their first win since March 10, when they beat Mercer 10-6 on the road.
 
Prior to the opening faceoff, the 12 members of the senior class and a pair of graduate students will be honored by the Dolphin Athletic Association for their contributions to the program.