ERIE, Pa. – The Frostburg State Men's Lacrosse team dropped their road ECC matchup to No. 8 Mercyhurst, falling by a final of 21-10 on Saturday afternoon.
Mercyhurst struck first in the competitive contest, connecting on their first goal on a man-up opportunity at the 12:29 mark. Senior Justin Hulse responded, putting Frostburg on the board with 5:39 left in the first, to tie the game at one apiece. The Lakers quickly turned it around in their favor, scoring four straight goals to end the first for a 5-1 lead.
The Lakers kept that momentum going to start the second, scoring two more goals to open the quarter. FSU brought it to 3-1 midway through the second, on back-to-back goals from sophomore Tristan Anderson and junior Austin Sipes, who was assisted by Hulse. Mercyhurst tacked on two more goals before halftime, as the Bobcats found the back of the net once more in the half, this time on goal from sophomore Seamus Kearney, bringing the game to 9-4 at the break.
The third quarter started in the Lakers' favor once more, as they connected on the first two goals of the second half. Junior Cole Balance recorded Frostburg's first goal of the half to bring the game to 11-5 just two minutes into the third. Mercyhurst kept their foot on the gas, scoring three more straight to take a 14-5 lead. Senior Jake Bowman got on the stat sheet, recording his first goal of the day, on an assist from senior Owen McCallum. The Lakers weren't done in the third quite yet, tacking on more goal for a 15-6 lead heading into the final frame.
Once more, Mercyhurst opened the quarter with a goal, starting the final quarter with five straight goals to take a commanding 20-6 lead. Frostburg showed some fight with the time they had left, as Bowman knotted his second of the day on an assist from Blanche, and senior Bubba Love tallied his first goal of the day. With 3:26 left in regulation, Love tacked on another goal off an assist from Sipes, and with just 58 seconds left to play, McCallum sliced one in the back of the net to bring the score to 20-10. The Lakers found the net once more with 15 seconds left, to bring the final to 21-10.
Bowman and Love each recorded a pair of goals for a total of two points each, while McCallum, Sipes, and Hulse were each credited with a goal and assist for two points as well. Graduate Mitch Meckley made 10 saves in goal.
With the loss, Frostburg goes to 10-4 on the season, while Mercyhurst improves to 10-2. The Bobcats return to action on Tuesday, April 25 as they host Alderson Broaddus for a 7 PM contest. For more information and updates, please visit frostburgsports.com.
