Men's Lacrosse: No. 1 Fighting Owls Out-Muscle No. 2 Nassau 18-8, Finish Regular Season Undefeated

BEL AIR, MD — The No. 1 nationally ranked Harford Fighting Owls delivered a statement performance on Saturday, rolling past No. 2 ranked Nassau Community College with an emphatic 18–8 victory in front of a home crowd of more than 300 spectators at the Harford Sports Complex. With the win, Harford remains unbeaten at 10–0 overall and 4–0 in conference play, while Nassau drops to 7–2 on the year.

"We played a really good game overall and that was huge for us at this point in the year," said Fighting Owls head coach Aaron Verardi. "Getting a win against Nassau is always tough because they are so disciplined, tough, and smart as a team."

Harford's offense came out firing, building a 2–0 lead in the first quarter and never relinquishing control. The team exploded for six goals in the second period and capped the contest with a seven-goal fourth quarter, showcasing a well-rounded attack and suffocating defense throughout.

Leading the way offensively was a trio of hat-trick scorers: Eammon Donovan (Berwyn, PA), George Shonfeld (Stockport, Manchester, England) and Liam Forsyth (Webster, NY) each tallied three goals for the Fighting Owls.

Donovan was a key presence across the field, scoring once in each of the first three quarters, including an unassisted goal early in the third that helped stifle Nassau's brief rally. Shonfeld added an assist to his hat trick and was instrumental in maintaining offensive tempo, with two of his goals coming in critical second- and third-quarter stretches.

Forsyth made his mark in the second quarter, notching a key goal off a feed from Shonfeld, contributing to Harford's six-goal frame that firmly put them in the driver's seat.

Also contributing to Harford's scoring barrage were Will Goodwin (Cheadle, Manchester, England), Hugo Peel (Stockport, Manchester, England), Kennedy Opie (Natick, MA) and Kohl Wesner (Lancaster, PA), each scoring twice. Goodwin got the Fighting Owls on the board first with an unassisted goal just over two minutes into the game and added an assist on Donovan's second goal.

Peel factored heavily into the second-quarter surge with a goal and two assists, including a feed to Opie for Harford's seventh goal.

Opie and Wesner added insurance goals in the second half to keep Nassau at bay.

Carson Crawford (Queen Anne's County) rounded out the scoring for Harford with a goal and an assist, connecting with Shonfeld in the second quarter.

Defensively, Harford held Nassau scoreless in the first quarter and limited them to just one goal in the fourth. The Fighting Owls' aggressive and organized back line disrupted Nassau's rhythm and helped force turnovers that translated into transition opportunities.

In terms of distribution, Harford recorded assists on nine of its 18 goals, illustrating a strong team dynamic and unselfish play. Peel led all players with two assists, while Crawford, Goodwin, and Shonfeld each added one.

"We closed out the regular season unbeaten, but we are still in the process of improving every day," Verardi said. "Now is the time of year where we want to make the most of every opportunity. Every game is an important game from now until the end. We can't ask for more than that."

By Rocco Geppi, Harford Community College