Minnechaug boys lacrosse dominates second half in 16-5 rout over East Longmeadow (2025)

EAST LONGMEADOW — In a game that started as a back-and-forth battle, the Minnechaug boys lacrosse team found another gear and never looked back, pulling away in the second half to cruise to a 16-5 win over East Longmeadow (3-1) on Monday night.

Minnechaug (3-0) dominated possession and offense, especially in the second half. Multiple players earned hat tricks and maintained a strong defensive hold on East Longmeadow.

Sophomore Jake Hisgen led all scorers with four goals, while Matt Beaudin and Matt Noonan each recorded hat tricks of their own. Tommy O’Toole played a critical role all night, finishing with two goals and an assist.

“We always talk about it’s not the first shot, it’s the best shot,” Minnechaug coach Mike Delia said. “And I thought the whole offensive group as a unit really took pride in that the second half. The patience and poise that the group had was really significant.

“It really showed a lot, too, and that’s why I think we capitalized on a lot of those goals. I know a lot of it was man up, wo we had an extra guy. But they still went to work and proved why they deserved to be out there and stuck a bunch of goals.”

For East Longmeadow, star attacker and Super 7 selection Jake Robidoux and Marco Santos were the lone bright spots, scoring all five of the team’s goals between them.

“Great job by those two guys,” East Longmeadow coach Dan Reid said. “Obviously, Jake’s a Super 7 player, and Marco’s back on the team this year. They did a nice job early. Very well-coached team over at Minnechaug, and they outworked us.”

It didn’t take long for the Falcons to make their presence known.

Just over four minutes into the first quarter, O’Toole buried the game’s opening goal. And moments later, Mason Jones connected with Hisgen to double the lead.

But East Longmeadow refused to go quietly—Santos capitalized on a rebound to get the Spartans on the board. Robidoux then blazed downfield for the equalizer, knotting the game at 2-2.

The tie didn’t last long, though. Minnechaug’s offense kept its foot on the gas, with O’Toole feeding Beaudin to regain the lead late in the first.

The Falcons took control afterward.

Minnechaug opened the second quarter hot, as Hisgen netted his second goal on a free-position shot, and Devin Purchas added another to make it 5-2.

The Spartans struggled to maintain possession, not recording their first offensive set of the quarter until the 5:04 mark.

Robidoux and Santos continued to carry East Longmeadow’s offensive load, each picking up their second goal before halftime. By the break, the Falcons held a 7-4 lead behind multi-goal efforts from Hisgen, Beaudin, and O’Toole.

Then came the third quarter—and with it, Minnechaug’s game-changing surge.

The Falcons erupted for five goals in an impressive offensive display. Alex Rice opened the half with a quick strike, and Hisgen completed his hat trick before adding a fourth goal just minutes later.

Collin Meunier and Beaudin joined the party, while Robidoux managed East Longmeadow’s only answer of the quarter—his own hat trick goal.

But the Spartans had no answer for Minnechaug’s depth. The Falcons ended the third quarter with a 12-5 lead.

Minnechaug didn’t let up in the fourth as the Falcons scored four unanswered in the final frame.

Noonan scored twice more to notch his hat trick, and Jones and Purchas piled on goals to put the game well out of reach.

Minnechaug showcased its offensive firepower and depth with the win while holding the Spartans scoreless in the final 14 minutes.

Despite losing several key contributors from last year’s Western Mass. title team, Minnechaug hasn’t missed a beat to start the new season.

With a balanced attack and strong chemistry, the Falcons are proving they’re still a force to be reckoned with.

“I really feel like people were doubting us this year losing Jackson [Derosia], now he’s an All-American, and our senior defenseman, Sean Murphy, Bentley commit,” Hisgen said. “I feel like people were doubting us. And so, when we come in and show what we can do and how we play as a team, we can show that we can compete.”