Scoring goals looked as easy as breathing for the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team in its 19-5 thrashing of Quinnipiac. The brand-new attacking trio of Trace Hogan, Robbie Granara and Aiden Drunsic embarked on a goal-producing mission that the Bobcats (0-1) had absolutely no answer for.
“I think if you look at college scores in lacrosse, if your attack is producing like that, you’re probably going to win the game,” head coach Greg Cannella said.
Hogan, a senior transfer from Merrimack, netted a whopping six goals in the contest. After scoring just once in the Minutemen’s (1-1) season-opening loss against Army, he took his game to a whole new level on Friday afternoon. The Jupiter, Florida native also added two assists, bringing his grand total to eight points. Hogan became the first UMass player to record eight points in a single game since Kevin Tobin and the first to score six goals in a game since Gabriel Procyk, both during the 2021 season.
The first of his plethora of tallies came halfway through the second period, when Hogan deployed a quick spin and rifled a sidearm shot into the net. Just one minute later, he stepped into one from the same spot on the field on the man-up and picked out the top right corner with precision. His double hat trick was certainly not lucky, though a fortunate bounce did lead to his sixth goal. The ball was loose for over 10 seconds following a faceoff, only for it to fall directly to Hogan for the most nonchalant of one-on-one finishes.
“I don’t think [Hogan] felt he had a good game on Saturday against Army, so it was good to see him shoot the ball pretty well there in the second half,” Cannella said. “You know what you’re gonna get out of an older guy like [Hogan], you’re going to get consistency. Plus, he has the ability to really move the ball as well in terms of getting assists.”
Granara, a freshman starter in the attack, now dons the No. 99 that Mason Bregman left behind. Bregman scored 23 goals in 2024 and transferred to Ohio State, where he notched three goals in his debut. Granara followed in his footsteps on Friday with a hat trick of his own. His third goal was a display of impressive patience, as he baited the Quinnipiac defender with a pump fake before launching his shot into the upper netting.
“Granara’s going to score, I mean that’s what he does,” Cannella said. “Three [goals] on seven [shots], for a freshman you can’t ask for much more than that. You just hope for consistency from him.”
Drunsic is the final piece of the starting trio in front of goal. While he did not post such high scoring numbers, he dished out three assists along with one goal of his own. The junior scored near the crease after receiving a pass from Matthew Cargiulo just feet from goal. He bounced his quick-release shot home while taking heavy contact from behind and drawing a flag. It was one of many Minutemen goals scored through contact.
Cargiulo was the top contributor off the bench for UMass, as he finished with two goals and three assists. Freshman Tyler Clayton scored two and grabbed a helper as well. Five separate players registered three or more points in the matchup, marking a job well-done on offense. The Minutemen carried the momentum into their defense as well in the second half, winning the last half hour 13-2.
UMass will continue its four-game homestand to begin the 2025 campaign with a Tuesday, Feb. 18 test against Dartmouth. The Minutemen will be on very short rest for the 3 p.m. faceoff that will be streamed on ESPN+.
“You hope that these guys are eating properly, hydrating properly and you ask them to stay off their feet,” Cannella said. “That’s a lot of lacrosse in one week … I encourage them to stay off [their] phone … get [their] rest.”
Cameron Pellegrino can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @cam_pellegrino.
