BOSTON, Mass. (February 14, 2026) – Senior Nick Pestrichello's goal with 1:18 to play halted an Emerson College rally from a three-goal deficit entering the fourth quarter as University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) claimed a 10-9 triumph in a non-conference men's lacrosse matchup at Lester Rotch Field this afternoon.
Pestrichello finished with a goal and assist for USJ with two ground balls, while the Blue Jays were led by five goals from junior Brendan Tedeschi, adding three ground balls and a caused turnover. Junior Noah Isleib preserved the win with 13 saves, four ground balls and a caused turnover in the USJ goal.
Senior Aedan Kiniry led Emerson with two goals, two assists, seven ground balls and two caused turnovers. Senior JD Frey also netted a pair of goals for the Lions with a ground ball, while classmate Ethan Corby posted ten saves in the Lions goal with two ground balls.
USJ scored the first two goals of the contest, including a marker from junior Vinny Pusateri III in the opening minute of the game, in staking out a 6-1 lead after a pair of man-up markers from senior Freeman Johnson and postgrad Brycen Kennedy over the first two minutes of the second quarter.
Emerson pulled back within two (6-4) after Frey's first goal of the contest with 2:30 left before the half. Tedeschi sent USJ into halftime with a three-goal cushion (7-4) that the Blue Jays would carry into the fourth after the teams traded goals in the third quarter.
Frey and junior Jett McCullogh pulled Emerson back within a goal (8-7) less than five minutes into the final frame. Tedeschi restored a two goal lead for USJ with his fifth goal of the afternoon with 10:17 to play, but the Lions pulled even when junior Zachary Stern-Hayes potted the equalizer off a pass from first year Henry Bradley with 2:05 to play after Kiniry scored his second of the afternoon five minutes earlier.
USJ grabbed the one-goal win over Emerson for the second-straight year with Pestrichello's winner and the Blue Jays survived a Lions hit cross bar and shot wide in the closing seconds.
Up Next
Emerson (0-2, 0-0 NEWMAC) returns to action on Wednesday when it hosts Western Connecticut State University at Rotch Field at 6 p.m. USJ (1-0, 0-0 GNAC) hosts Manhattanville College next Saturday at 2 p.m.
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