NORTH CANTON, Ohio – The Frostburg State Men's Lacrosse team picked up their first win of the 2026 season, defeating Walsh on the road by a 9-6 final on Saturday afternoon.
 
Both teams turned the ball over twice within the first two minutes, as WU took the game's first opening goal following a failed Bobcat clear. Less than a minute later, senior Matt Williams got possession for FSU through a caused turnover, which led junior Hayden Celio to feed classmate Baylor Davis and even the contest. Senior Will Stephanos then came up with another CT, with junior Luke Roach testing Cavalier keeper Austin England before netting on the second time of asking with another assist credited to Celio.
 
Over the next three minutes, England kept his team in the game, producing a trio of saves and preserving the one-goal deficit. Each team then withstood a man-down penalty, as a Frostburg turnover allowed Walsh to get the clear and score with five minutes left in the period. England made another save while Celio and junior Henry Sykes each fired wide, ending the frame with a 2-2 tie.
 
The goalkeepers were each called into action early in the second, as England made back-to-back stops within the first 15 seconds while junior Jack Smith made his first stop of the game 30 seconds later. Following a Bobcat turnover, the Cavaliers called a timeout and set up a go-ahead goal, as the hosts then doubled their lead within the minute to go up 4-2. England denied Celio before FSU was put a man down, however an effort wide and another blocked in front of Smith allowed junior Jack Hooks to pick up the loose ball and sprint downfield, where senior Sean Mullineaux netted to get within 4-3.
 
The next five minutes were largely controlled by Frostburg, getting away seven total shots, five of which missed the mark and the other two saved by England, while Smith kept the hosts at bay as well. With four minutes to go, each side traded turnovers, with the Bobcats taking advantage through Mullineaux finding senior Graham Allison to fire home to even the score at 4-4. Smith made a late save with just over a minute to go, then a failed clear from WU led to Davis scoring 20 seconds before the half to take a 5-4 lead into the break.
 
Neither team generated much offense through the first five minutes of the third, as England made the only save in the frame, while Davis had one effort go wide. Midway through the quarter, FSU was called for a holding penalty, allowing Walsh to even things on the man-up chance. Two minutes later, Hooks put a shot wide before Davis found Sykes in front of goal to regain a 6-5 lead. Throughout the final five minutes, the Cavaliers had several chances to tie the game back up but shot wide twice, hit the post, and were denied by Smith at the last second, with the Bobcats holding onto their one-goal lead.
 
Another WU shot cannoned off the post a minute into the fourth, as at the other end, Celio put one shot wide and then found the back of the cage with his next effort to provide an insurance goal up 7-5. The next couple of minutes were plagued by turnovers from each side, as the Frostburg defenders then got in front of a Walsh shot before putting a pair off target. On the resulting clear, the Cavaliers got back within one through an AJ Harrison solo goal, however freshman Ayden Viscount won the resulting face-off, allowing Hooks to find Mullineaux to swiftly go back up 8-6.
 
Smith then preserved the two-goal lead before Roach caused a turnover and failed clear, hit the post, then passed to Celio to fire home for a 9-6 advantage with five minutes to go. 30 seconds later, Smith stood tall once more in helping the clock to tick down, then it was the Bobcats' turn to control some offense, forcing England into a pair of saves. Neither side would get a shot away the rest of the game, as FSU came away 9-6 winners.
 
Celio led all scorers with a pair of goals and assists for five total points, while Davis and Mullineaux each added two goals and a dime apiece. Williams and Stephanos keyed the defensive effort with four combined caused turnovers and three groundballs, while Smith finished with six saves and a 50% save percentage.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 1-2 on the year, while Walsh drops to 1-4. The Bobcats will remain on the road to face Davis & Elkins on Wednesday, February 25 at 4 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.