Men’s Lax Breaks Open Tight Game in Third Quarter, Downs Iona 16-8

Tuesday, February 17

New Rochelle, N.Y.

1 p.m.

Bucknell University

3-1

Iona

0-5

Bucknell

Iona

Photo by: Steven Schoenfelder

Men’s Lax Breaks Open Tight Game in Third Quarter, Downs Iona 16-8

2/17/2026 4:09:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Michael Meyer scored two of his four goals in a 6-0 run to start the third quarter, sending Bucknell on its way to a 16-8 rout of Iona in men's lacrosse action on Tuesday afternoon at Mazzella Field. The Bison bounced back nicely from their only loss of the season and are now 3-1 heading into a home date with Hobart on Saturday.

Meyer, who was coming off a six-goal, seven-point showing at Robert Morris on Friday, tallied four goals and an assist in this one. He now has 14 goals and three assists in four games. Sean Berrigan added three goals and an assist, and Hans Huber tallied a career-high four points with a goal and three helpers. Junior Patrick Mullen recorded the first two goals of his career, Crispin Kaye notched his first career goal, and Luke Brunner and Henry Boykin also scored twice each for the Bison, who scored 11 times in the second half.

Bucknell piled up 28 first-half shots but led by only two at 5-3 at intermission. The Bison never trailed in the game, with goals from Berrigan, Huber, and Meyer staking them to a 3-0 lead after one period. But Iona scored two straight to get back into it, and Jack Martinez's goal with 3:32 left in the first half answered Bucknell's two-goal flurry.

The game changed just over a minute into the second half when Iona goalie Denny Piekutowski had to leave with an injury. Jack Tully took a shot from midfield toward an empty cage with Iona in a 10-man ride. The shot hit the post, and Piekutowski was injured scrambling back into the crease. Brunner scored on the next possession, igniting a surge of six straight goals that broke the game open. Meyer and Berrigan followed in the next three minutes, and then Peter Grandolfo scored a spectacular goal splitting two defenders before firing home a diving shot from the right side of the crease. Boykin scored with a lefty shot on the run, and then Meyer's goal in transition off an Anthony Panetti feed made it 11-3 with 4:08 left in the third.

Bucknell went on to lead by as many as 10 at 16-6 after Kaye scored with a man advantage off a feed from freshman Joey Matassa, who earned his first career point with the assist. Iona scored two late goals with the backups in the game, the latter coming with a two-man advantage with 1:13 remaining.

The Bison had a huge day at the faceoff X, winning 19 of 28. Colin McLoy started and won 10 of his first 14 before finishing 10-for-17 with nine ground balls. Zach Hepworth went 7-for-9 and Seven Pepe 2-for-2.

Bucknell outshot Iona 53-31, with 14 of the Gael's 31 shots coming in the fourth quarter. The Bison led 37-30 in ground balls and went 17-for-19 on clears. Three goalies combined for 10 saves. Starter Jaz Zanelli stopped four shots, and relievers Luke Renaud and Parker Day made three saves each, all in the fourth quarter. Piekutowski made eight first-half saves for Iona, and backup Sal Caputo turned aside six shots.

Bucknell returns to action on Saturday against Hobart at home at 11 a.m., with the Bison women to follow against St. Bonaventure at 3 p.m.