Hawks Embark on a Two Game Winning Streak after Rutgers and Wagner
After 14 games over two seasons, the men’s lacrosse program earned its first win on Saturday afternoon at High Point Solutions Stadium in Piscataway, NJ. they then faced Wagner on Tuesday afternoon and earned their second win.
“It was certainly fun and exciting for our guys to get our first victory, and to come against Rutgers was extra sweet because we played in their football stadium and it was a game last year where they got the better of us,” Head Coach Brian Fisher said. “To compete in the manner in which we did, and to make the plays late in the game to win was very exciting for the development of our program.”
Fisher, a graduate of Rutgers, led his team to a 10-9 victory against his alma mater.
Rutgers got on the board less than a minute into the game, courtesy of an unassisted mark by Chad Toliver. Five minutes later, the Scarlet Knights increased their lead to two.
Freshman Bryce Wasserman started MU’s scoring rally eight minutes, but Rutgers quickly gained another two goal lead. With two evenly matched teams, the end of the first quarter gave an expected 3-2 score, Rutgers favor.
Wasserman opened up the second quarter with a quick goal assisted by sophomore Chris Daly. MU went to score the next three out of four goals and leading 6-4 at half.
The third quarter was dominated by the Scarlet Knights as they opened the second half with three consecutive goals. Fortunately, MU sophomore Zack Schleicher was able to find the net and knot the game at 7-7.
The fourth quarter proved the most intense of the game as it was a constant one-point battle. With less than 13 minutes remaining, MU pulled ahead courtesy of an unassisted goal from sophomore Tyler Keen. About six minutes later, Rutgers retaliated with an unassisted goal from Jeff George.
The game stood quiet for the next two minutes until senior captain Zach Johannes scored on a pass from sophomore Dylan Schulte. Wasserman once again was assisted by Daly to increase the Hawks lead to two giving them high hopes of finalizing a victory. Toliver found the back of the net 42 seconds later to make it a one-point game.
George was consistently applying pressure to senior Garrett Conaway, but he was unable to find the net.
The Hawks were able to hold off the Scarlet Knights for the remaining four minutes of the game and pick up their first program victory.
Conaway tied a career-high with 14 saves in cage for the Hawks. Wasserman and Keen each scored three times while Daly contributed three assists. Johannes contributed two goals of his own while Daly and Schleicher each had one.
“Our seniors have done a great job of providing leadership through their own example and our younger group, in particular our sophomores, have all really turned the corner with their confidence and belief in what we are doing. To get a win only confirms that and it sets the stage for this week’s game and the rest of this season,” Coach Fisher said.
Rutgers outshot MU, 39-29, and had 19 more ground balls. Each team had 12 turnovers.
The Hawks returned to action on Tuesday, March 3 where they picked up their second win of the season.
With a 3 pm start time, the Hawks defeated Wagner College with a final score of 7-3 at Monmouth Stadium. The two teams were originially scheduled for Feb. 17, but the match was postponed due to snow.
MU quickly showed their prowess as Keen scored within the opening two minutes of play. Wagner then responded with a goal of their own. The Hawks finished the first quarter with a 2-1 advantage, courtesy of a goal by sophomore Kevin Murphy.
The Hawks and the Seahawks exchanged goals in the second quarter to make it a 3-2 game at half.
Wasserman increased MU’s lead in the third quarter while Keen furthered the scoring gap a few minutes later. The fourth quarter showcased goals from Johannes and sophomore Chris Summers to put the Hawks up by five.
With less than two minutes in the game, the Seahawks cut the lead to four, but failed to make a significant comeback.
The final score of the game was 7-3 in MU’s favor. Conaway had seven saves in the contest while Keen led the Hawks in scoring with three goals.
MU is set to face St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA for a 3 pm game on Saturday, March 7. St. Joseph’s is 2-3 and 1-1 at home.
