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Men’s Lacrosse Falls to #1-ranked Mercyhurst

Christian Arnold  Assistant Sports Editor

The Pioneers men’s lacrosse team took the number one ranked Mercyhurst Lakers to the edge, but could not pull out a win on Saturday, April 13. LIU Post lead 13-10 going into the final ten minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Lakers mounted a comeback eventually winning 14-13.

The Lakers took control of the lead early, scoring less than a minute after the opening face-off. Senior midfielder Zac Reid was the goal scorer and moment’s later, senior midfielder James Chayka gave the Lakers a two-goal advantage.

Freshman attacker Matty Beccaris tied the game up in a span of a minute, but Chayka put Mercyhurst back ahead with nine seconds left in the quarter.

The Lakers made it a two goal game again seconds into the second quarter off a goal by senior attacker Brian Scheetz, and in similar fash- ion as in the first, they scored again minutes later.

The Pioneers found a way to pull back within one, off goals by graduate attacker/midfielder Joe Costello and senior midfielder Chris Ruhlig, but the Lakers answered right back a minute later to make it 6-4. On the man advantage, fresh- man attacker Ryan Slane cut the deficit to one.

Costello tied the game 10 seconds into the second half and freshman midfielder Anthony Bera- dis gave the pioneers their first lead of the game at the 10:16 mark. The lead was short lived, as the Lakers scored goals ten seconds apart to retake the lead.

Costello, again, led the offensive charge for the Pioneers, tying the game at 5:59. Beradis followed suite with another goal less than a minute later and Costello made it 10-8. The Pioneers and Lakers each scored one more time before the third quarter came to a close.

Junior attacker Jack McAndrew opened up the scoring in the game’s final quarter, making it an 11-10 game in favor of the Pioneers. Ruhlig and Beradis would get their names on the score sheet once again, putting their team up by three.

But the Lakes found the drive to overcome the late game deficit. Chayka scored first at the 8:59 mark. Junior attacker Brady Heseltine scored roughly four minutes later to cut the Pioneer lead to two. McAndrew tied it up on a man-up opportunity at 3:20 and Reid completed the comeback, scoring with 1:51 left to play while on the man advantage.

The Pioneers held the advantage in shots on goal, 29-23, over the Lakers; as well as had a 57-49 advantage in ground balls. Senior goaltender Tim Bradley made nine saves for the Pioneers in the loss.

LIU Post moves to 8-2 on the season and 4-1 in East Coast Conference play. Their next game is on Saturday, April 20, when the Pioneers travel to Oakdale, New York to take on the Dowling Golden Lions at 1 p.m.

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