Final Score
VMI (3-3) – 9
Monmouth (3-3) – 8
 
LEXINGTON, Va. – Ty Caffarelli scored four goals, and Monmouth built a fourth-quarter lead, but VMI closed the game with three unanswered tallies to hand the Hawks a 9-8 loss Saturday morning in nonconference men's lacrosse action in Lexington, Virginia.

Caffarelli paced the Hawks with four goals on 10 shots, recording his 16^th career hat trick and his 23^rd career multi-goal performance. Ryan O'Rourke added a goal and an assist, while Caden Kesselring, Hayden Chester and Nick Teets each contributed a goal.

Monmouth responded after an early two-goal deficit in the first quarter. O'Rourke put the Hawks on the board with 3:22 remaining in the opening period, and Kesselring tied the game at two early in the second quarter before Caffarelli gave Monmouth its first lead at 3-2.

The teams traded runs throughout the afternoon. After VMI evened the score late in the second frame, the Hawks answered with three goals in the third, including strikes from Caffarelli and Chester, to take a 6-5 advantage into the final quarter of play.

Monmouth led 8-6 with 10:25 remaining after Cafarelli tallied back-to-back goals. VMI, however, rallied late as the Keydets scored three times in the final 6:09 to clinch the victory.
Goalie Dylan Cadigan made seven saves for Monmouth in his sixth start of the season.

Notes & Numbers
- Monmouth still leads the all-time series, 3-2.
- Caffarelli now has 23 career multi-goal games and 16 career hat tricks.
- Caffarelli is seven goals away from reaching 100 for his career and becoming Monmouth's all-time program leader.
- Kesselring notched his first goal of 2026.
- Matt Porazzo made his first career start.
- Monmouth had more shot attempts, 42-39.
- Monmouth landed more shots on goal, 20-16.
- VMI scooped up more ground balls, 23-20.
- Monmouth had both man-up chances on the afternoon and went 0-for-2.
- MU controlled the faceoff circle, 13-7.
- MU successfully cleared 14-of-17 attempts, while VMI went 21-of-24.
- There were a combined 29 turnovers; Monmouth – 17, VMI – 12.

Up Next
The Hawks begin their CAA schedule at Drexel on Saturday, March 14 at noon.