POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. — Gavin Blenk delivered the golden goal with 1:18 remaining as part of an 11-10 double overtime win for the Saints as the Siena and Marist Men's Lacrosse teams added another heart-pumping chapter to their storied rivalry in a Wednesday night showdown of previously undefeated conference teams at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field. 

Blenk, the senior from Scarsdale, NY, continued his breakout season with his fourth two-goal performance in his previous six games. In doing so, the midfielder notched his first career winning goal donning the Green and Gold and has already tripled his career point total heading into the season with 12. 

Siena (7-2 overall, 3-0 MAAC) have now won four consecutive games and one of only two undefeated teams left in the MAAC along with Sacred Heart, who improved to 9-0 overall and is 4-0 in conference play.

Marist (5-3 overall, 3-1 MAAC) had its five-game winning streak snapped.  Siena improved to 25-22 all-time against Marist and its first overtime win since March 29, 2023 when the Saints topped Canisius in Buffalo 10-9 on a Zac Schuette winner.

The opening quarter saw a back-and-forth battle between Siena and Marist, ending in a 3-3 tie. Gavin Blenk scored first for the Saints at 11:06, marking his seventh goal of the season. Marist quickly responded with a man-up goal by Drew Weissman at the 9:00 mark, assisted by Sean Mullan. Patrick Radomski was a key contributor for Siena, scoring twice in the quarter, with his second goal leveling the score at 3-3 with 1:23 remaining. Marist's Sean Mullan also added to the excitement with his goal at 3:42, assisted by Drew Anderson. The quarter concluded with a save by Vito DeBellis on a late shot by Marist's Steven Cain.

Siena extended its lead in the second quarter with a strong offensive start. Caden Olmstead scored early at 14:16, marking his 18th goal of the season. Shortly after, Radomski netted another goal, assisted by Olmstead, pushing the score to 5-3. The Saints continued to control the game with Olmstead scoring again at 7:47, assisted by Nikolas Barbero. Marist responded with goals from Sean Mullan and Steven Cain, narrowing the gap to 6-5. However, Siena's Patrick Linton added to the lead with a goal at 3:30, concluding the quarter with a 7-5 advantage.

Travis Fry opened the third quarter scoring with a goal at 12:27, bringing Siena's total to eight. Marist responded swiftly, with Cain finding the net at 10:22, assisted by Collin Patrick, and Jayce Konowitz added another at 8:53 with help from Brady Dolan, leveling the score. Marist continued their offensive push, with Mullan, Patrick, and another goal by Patrick, assisted by Dolan, extending their lead to 10-8. Siena narrowed the gap just before the quarter ended as Olmstead scored with nine seconds remaining, assisted by Radomski, ending the quarter with Marist leading 10-9.

In a tightly contested fourth quarter, Siena managed to break the stalemate against Marist with a crucial goal by Conor Hufnagel at the 3:00 mark, marking his 17th goal of the season. The quarter was marked by defensive stands and missed opportunities. Siena's DeBellis made key saves to keep Marist at bay, and Logan Banek played a pivotal role in faceoff wins. Despite multiple attempts by Marist, including a shot by Collin Patrick that went wide at 4:50, the Saints maintained their defensive composure to keep the score tied at 10-10 as the quarter concluded.

Overtime saw a defensive standoff between Siena and Marist, with neither team managing to score. Siena's Banek secured possession after winning a faceoff against Josh Smith at the start, but a turnover soon halted its momentum. Marist's Kevin Radmann picked up a ground ball, but a failed clear attempt then shifted the opportunity back to the Saints. Despite multiple shot attempts by Fry and Hufnagel, Siena could not convert, as Marist's Richie Metzger made a critical save. Marist's final clear attempt was successful, but the score remained tied.

In a tense final overtime, Siena secured a narrow victory over Marist with a decisive goal by Blenk at 1:18, marking his eighth of the season. Marist had maintained pressure throughout the period, winning the initial faceoff and attempting several shots, including a wide attempt by Cain and a saved shot by Mullan. Siena's defense, led by DeBellis' nine saves, held strong against Marist's efforts.

Siena returns home to take on Canisius (3-6, 2-1 MAAC) this Saturday at 12 p.m. at Hickey Field.