FROSTBURG, Md.- The Frostburg State men's lacrosse team took No. 4 Mercy, where a gutsy performance was not enough in a 12-6 loss.

Prior to the game, the Bobcats honored 15 members of their senior class that are rounding out their FSU careers in Gavin Schattall, Kevin Reuther, Jake Bowman, Cade Price, Connor Tollus, Joey Boros, Ty Oehlerking, Austin Linn, Peter Karmilowicz, Tanner Donaldson, Griffin Ocker, Justin Brick, Matt Sharkey, Matt Ward, and Nick Nordhausen. 

In the first quarter, both teams would come out strong, with Reuther in net and his counterpart Tommy Umano making some great stops through the first seven minutes. The Mavericks would break the deadlock and get the first goal of the game, as Frostburg responded with a flurry of shots but could not find their opener. With just under two minutes left in the quarter, Mercy would score again, ending the quarter in the lead 2-0.

In the second quarter, the Bobcats would get on the board just 18 seconds in with a man-up goal from Ward. The Mavericks held firm on defense for the next 10 minutes, going on a three-goal run, as they looked to take their momentum into halftime. The Bobcats had other ideas, however, getting a much-needed goal from Ward with 44 seconds left, then FSU scored again 18 seconds later on a goal from sophomore Austin Sipes to go into halftime with Mercy in the lead 5-3.

In the third quarter, the Mavericks again used some strong defense and goalkeeping to score two straight goals to go into a 7-3 lead. Once more, Frostburg dug in and worked back into the game, first on a Sipes goal with an assist from Bowman, then Bowman scored a solo goal to earn his 100th career point and take the game into the fourth with a 7-5 Mercy lead. 

In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks took control of the game with five unanswered goals, effectively putting away any hope of a Bobcat comeback at 12-5. Ward had the final score of the game to complete his hat trick, as Mercy came away 12-6 winners and completed an undefeated conference season.

Ward led the offense with his three goals, while senior Jake Sprecher and freshman Seamus Kearney both recorded a pair of caused turnovers and picked up three groundballs each. Kearney now sits second all-time in caused turnovers in a single season with 35, passing former standout Zach Burkhardt's second-best career total of 34, as he also holds the top mark at 50. 

With the loss, the Bobcats fall to 10-7 while Mercy rises to 12-1 at the end of the regular season. Frostburg will be back in action for the East Coast Conference tournament, where they will host a game on Wednesday, May 4 against Molloy at 4 PM. For more information and updates, visit www.frostburgsports.com.