SCHENECTADY, N.Y. - The #10/14 Union College men's lacrosse team dropped a 9-5 defensive battle to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday afternoon at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
 
The loss drops Union (7-5, 2-3 Liberty League) into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings with two games left on the schedule. Rensselaer (7-6, 4-1 Liberty League) remains in second place with the victory.
 
Juniors Clayton Arcuri and Jake Mabardy led Union with two goals apiece, while sophomore Archie McEvoy also had two points with a pair of assists. Senior Jake Titus scored a goal and grabbed a team-high four ground balls as well for the home team.
 
The Engineers took a 2-0 lead in the game's first five minutes, but the home team came back with goals from Arcuri and Titus – both assisted by McEvoy – in a span of 86 seconds to knot the score at two after 15 minutes of play. That was the only quarter that saw Union score more than one goal, however, as the team could not convert its chances the rest of the way.
 
Arcuri scored man-up from junior Peter Kip midway through the second stanza to again tie the score at three, but a pair of goals later in the frame gave Rensselaer a 5-3 lead at the half. The Engineers continued their scoring run with the first two goals of the third quarter, taking a 7-3 lead before Mabardy scored with 2:06 left to get back within three headed to the fourth.
 
Union had a majority of the possession in the final frame and directed 21 shots toward the RPI net, but the home team was still outscored 2-1 the rest of the way. RPI goalie Joseph Perry made six saves in the fourth quarter and 16 stops for the afternoon, while Union could not convert on any of its three man-up chances in the fourth and finished the game 1-for-7 with the man advantage.
 
Union will close out its home and non-conference slates on Wednesday when the team hosts St. John Fisher College beginning at 5 p.m. at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.