VILLANOVA, Pa. – Villanova men's lacrosse was unable to pick up its first home win on Sunday afternoon, falling 10-6 to No. 18/19 Pennsylvania at Villanova Stadium in the fifth annual Farrell Cup.
Nick Lucchesi and Lucas Newton each put up a goal and assist for Villanova (3-3) while Brady Dumont, David Link and Luke Raymond all added a goal.
Junior defenseman Beau Kemler contributed his first career goal as well in addition to four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers in his return from a month-long injury.
Nolan Sabel totaled two assists in the matchup, Denis Fargione made 10 saves between the pipes and Ryan Cunningham won six faceoffs for the Wildcats.
Penn scored the game's first goal on a transition chance at 13:27 on the clock, then Villanova answered less than two minutes later on a man-up chance as Dumont deposited a left-handed rip off an assist from Sabel for a 1-1 game. The Quakers ended the quarter with four straight to lead 5-1 after 15 minutes of play.
The second frame featured no scoring for seven minutes before the visitors got another to go up by five. Villanova's next possession saw the team's second goal of the day as Newton turned around a Sabel feed to lessen the deficit. Penn added another tally in the final minute to carry a 7-2 edge into halftime.
Raymond got the second half scoring underway with a crafty finish on the doorstep, converting a Kessy Cox pass for a four-goal game. The Wildcats then beat the 10-man ride as Kemler crossed the midline and hit an empty net, turning it into a three-score deficit. The Quakers got the final score of the period to lead 8-4 after the third quarter.
Lucchesi scored at 11:44 of the fourth, but the 'Cats didn't strike again for nearly 10 minutes after that despite two Penn tallies. Link scored with 2:28 remaining, but that was the contest's final tally as the visitors took a 10-6 win on the afternoon.
UP NEXT: Villanova remains at home for its penultimate non-conference outing, hosting the Towson Tigers at noon next Saturday, March 14 from Villanova Stadium.
