PURCHASE, N.Y. - The Purchase College men's lacrosse team celebrated its Senior Night Friday evening, before closing out the 2021 campaign with a 19-8 loss to the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Before the contest began, the Panthers took some time to honor their three graduating seniors – Ben Erkan (Bellport, NY), Dylan Ciolfi (Riverdale, NY) and Eamon McGee (White Plains, NY) – with prepared statements and photos with the coaches. The trio, all of which played four years or more with the Panthers, will graduate next month.

To view the pregame Senior Night ceremony and the game on demand, click here. And to read the Senior Night remarks, scroll to the bottom of the article. 

Following the celebrations, the team had to quickly change gears to the task at hand, the Mariners of Merchant Marine. For much of the contest, each team scored in waves, as the guests started the trend with three straight-goals over the opening four minutes.

The Panthers' defense then settled in and held the guests scoreless over the next ten minutes. During that stretch, Brendan Johnson (JR/White Plains, NY) tallied a pair of goals to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Before the first quarter ended though, Merchant Marine tallied a strike to push the advantage to 4-2, as another scoring wave ensued. Following that strike, USMMA added the next five goals in a row over the second quarter, pushing the margin to 9-2 in favor of the road team.

Luckily for the hosts, Tom Goldman (SO/Palisades, NY) and Johnson each found the back of the net before the end of the second period to make it a 9-4 contest at halftime. Once play resumed, Johnson again found the back of the net early in third quarter to make it 9-5, but that was as close as the Panthers got the rest of the way.

From there, the Mariners scored six-straight goals and 10 of the final 13 goals on the night. Those final three Panther goals came courtesy of Johnson, Connor Schwenker (SO/Westhampton Beach, NY) and Erkan.

In all, Johnson led the effort for Purchase with five goals and an assist in the loss. Meanwhile, Erkan finished with two points (1g, 1a) and three ground balls in his final game.

On the defensive end, Riley Donovan (FR/Billerica, MD) tallied six ground balls and two caused turnovers, while Joe Ely (SO/North Salem, NY) added six ground balls and two assists. In goal, McGee recorded 14 saves, which was a season-high for the senior. 

With the defeat, Purchase finished the COVID-19 shortened season with an 0-4 record overall. The team is set to return to action in March of 2022. 

SENIOR NIGHT REMARKS - Delivered by Sports Information Director, Stephanie Santora 

Dylan Ciolfi 

"Dylan is a tremendous young man who's on field talents have really grown since his freshman year. His commitment to putting in the extra time in the weight room and overall health and fitness have made him a consistent threat defensively. Dylan has always had a "team first" mentality and is someone who does all the right things on and off the field showing that he truly is a leader by example."


Eamon McGee

"Our fearless leader between the pipes, Eamon literally puts his body on the line everyday for his team. Eamon's strong work ethic and great commitment to his craft have made him not only a clutch player but a man the team truly rallies around. Eamon is not only respected by the players but also his coaches. His willingness to put in the extra time and effort with the coaching staff have made him a stand out senior goalie." 


Ben Erkan

"One of the program's all-time best, Ben made an immediate impact on the field since his freshman year. A dynamic two-way midfielder and playmaker, Ben plays with relentless effort and competitive spirit. Ben finishes his career as the program's second all-time leading scorer with 46 goals, 24 assists and 70 points. Ben is a two-time captain and all-conference honoree. His commitment to the team and coaching staff both on and off the field have made him an integral part of the Purchase lacrosse program."