Men's Lacrosse | 4/18/2026 4:13:00 PM
ROCHESTER, NY – For the first time since 2016, Nazareth defeated No. 9 St. John Fisher, knocking off the Cardinals 12-7 on Saturday at a packed NLPA Field. The win snaps Fisher's 39-game Empire 8 regular season win streak and 52-game conference win streak including postseason play. Nazareth, the last undefeated team in the Empire 8, improved to 9-6 overall and 7-0 in conference with two games remaining. Fisher falls to 13-2 and 6-1.
How it Happened:
- Nazareth wasted no time setting the tone, building a 5-0 lead through the first quarter. Louis Cogliandro opened the scoring just over four minutes in, and Matthew Farrington followed shortly after with a goal assisted by Joey Hathorn. William O'Neill then struck twice in quick succession to extend the lead to 4-0. Kyle Rosenberger capped the quarter with a man-up goal assisted by Farrington, sending the Golden Flyers into the second with a commanding advantage. Sven Habitzreuther was sharp in goal throughout, turning aside several Fisher opportunities to keep the shutout intact.
- Fisher began to chip away in the second quarter, pulling within three at 6-2 by halftime. Rosenberger converted another man-up opportunity — again assisted by Farrington — to give Nazareth a 6-1 lead, but the Cardinals answered twice before the break. The Golden Flyers held firm heading into the half, leading 6-2.
- The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Nazareth extended the lead to 7-2 on a William Meagher goal, but Fisher responded and trimmed the deficit to 8-4 by the end of the period. Farrington provided a critical insurance goal midway through the quarter, assisted by Rosenberger, to help offset the Cardinal surge.
- The fourth quarter is where Nazareth put the game away. Nicholas Hinck scored an empty net goal to make it 9-5, and George Monahan followed to push the lead to four. O'Neill added a man-down goal to stretch it to 11-6, and Rosenberger closed the scoring with his third goal of the game to seal the 12-7 final.
Game Notes:
- Cole Doldo was a beast at the x, winning 15-of-23 faceoffs.
- Connor Fundis set the tone on defense, causing five turnovers.
- Rosenberger led the offense with 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points
- O'Neill added 3 goals, including a man-down tally in the fourth quarter
- Farrington contributed 2 goals and 2 assists, continuing his strong stretch of play
- Joey Hathorn chipped in 2 assists
- Habitzreuther went the distance in goal, making 11 saves on 18 shots for the win
- Nazareth converted 2 of 2 man-up opportunities
- The Golden Flyers out-collected Fisher on ground balls 34-27
- Nazareth remains the only undefeated team in Empire 8 play with two regular season games to play.
Up Next:
Nazareth hosts Brockport in its final regular season home game on Wednesday at 4 p.m. for its Morgan's Message and Faculty/Staff Appreciation Game.