FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State men's lacrosse team opened the 2021 season with an impressive 18-3 win over the visiting Walsh Cavaliers. The Bobcats were led by graduate Paul Ruppert with five goals and one assist on the afternoon.
 
Frostburg started the game by shutting out the visitors in the first quarter, while adding four goals of their own to take a 4-0 lead into the second quarter. Ruppert scored the first two goals of the game off assists from sophomores Tanner Donaldson and Evan Dere. Donaldson again assisted graduate Mike Sipes, who caught the ball and threw it behind his back into the goal to put the Bobcats up 3-0. Junior Matthew Ward scored the last goal of the quarter off an assist from junior Joey Boros.
 
Walsh opened the second quarter netting a goal to put the Cavaliers down 4-1. The Bobcats then scored five unanswered goals to take a commanding 9-1 lead going into halftime. Ruppert picked up two more goals while Boros, junior Jake Bowman, and first-year Owen McCallum all registered a goal for Frostburg in the second quarter.
 
Frostburg controlled the third quarter with four more unanswered goals to take a 13-1 lead into the final quarter of play. Ruppert and Bowman registered unassisted goals while junior Gavin Schattall netted a goal assisted by sophomore Justin Hulse. Senior Jason Clinton unloaded a shot from deep to score with an assist from Ward, giving the Bobcats a 12-goal advantage going into the fourth quarter.
 
Walsh opened the fourth quarter with two goals five minutes in to make it 13-3 in favor of the Bobcats. FSU scored five more unanswered goals to capture the win 18-3. Schattall scored again off an assist from sophomore Bubba Love. After that, senior Sam Natvig won the faceoff, taking the ball all the way to the goal to score an unassisted. Two more goals from Love, as well as a goal from first-year Austin Sipes earned the Bobcat win.
 
Mike Sipes finished the game with one goal and two assists while Bowman, Schattall, and Love all recorded two goals each. Graduate Garrett Colvin led the defense with four caused turnovers and three ground balls while senior Colson Gregory recorded four caused turnovers and two ground balls. Graduate Jack Marks earned the win for the Bobcats in the cage with five saves on the day, allowing only three goals.
 
FSU returns to action on Saturday, March 6^th as they travel to Ohio to take on the Lake Erie Storm. Game time is set for 1:00 pm. For more information go to www.frostburgsports.com.