SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior Michael Shaw recorded a career-high six goals and eight points to lead seven senior scorers as the #9/8 Union College men's lacrosse team clinched a Liberty league Tournament berth with a 19-9 win over Vassar College on Senior Day at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
 
With the win, Union (10-3, 4-2 Liberty League) can finish no lower than fourth in the Liberty League standings with one conference game left to play against Rochester Institute of Technology next Saturday in Rochester.
 
Shaw led 11 different Union goal scorers with a career-high six and added two helpers for the highest point total by a Garnet Charger this season. Classmate Peter Kip had four points on three goals and one assist, while sophomore Hazen Pike was the only other Union player with multiple goals. Seniors Clayton Arcuri, Nolan Flood, Jake Mabardy, Liam McGovern and Henry Quaintance also found the net for the home team on Senior Day.
 
After the teams traded goals in the opening four minutes, Union scored six straight goals spanning the first and second stanzas to take control. Kip and Shaw did all the damage themselves with three goals apiece, including two goals in 28 seconds and four in less than four minutes to start the second period.
 
After Vassar (9-5, 2-4 Liberty League) opened the scoring in the third quarter to get back within four at 8-4, Union unleashed an offensive onslaught that saw the team score six times in 2:21 to put the game away. Mabardy started the run at the 10:21 mark, followed soon after by two Shaw goals in eight seconds to bump the lead to 11-4 with 9:30 left. That was followed by three goals in 45 seconds, with sophomore Emmett Lyne (8:45), Pike (8:07) and Arcuri (8:00) quickly increasing the lead to 10 at 14-4 with 8:00 on the clock.
 
The Garnet Chargers got two more tallies in the third period, the first collegiate goal from first-year Jack Lucey and McGovern's first goal since his collegiate debut against Vassar in 2021. Both teams emptied the benches in the fourth frame, with Quaintance, Flood and first-year Mekhi Taylor finding the net for the home team.
 
Union finished the afternoon with a 48-32 shot advantage and a 45-25 edge in ground balls. Senior Dan Donahue made seven saves in 49:51 of action and junior Ward Tucker made two stops over the final 10:09 for Union.
 
Union will close out the regular season with two road games, beginning on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at St. John Fisher College.