Feb. 24, 2008

Box Score

Charlotte, N.C. - Defense ruled the day as the Mercyhurst men's lacrosse team, ranked No. 2 in the country, opened its season with a 9-3 win over Queens Sunday.

After advancing to the NCAA Division II National Championship game a year ago, Mercyhurst returned a veteran group of defenders and the Lakers showed right away that the defensive line, along with All-American goaltender Jason LaShomb, will be difficult to score on this year. Queens scored lone goals in the first, third and fourth periods and took just 13 shots through the first three quarters.

Junior Mike Thon, the team's top returning goal scorer, got the Lakers on the board four minutes into the contest with the first of his game-high three goals. Queens answered back and tied the game at 1-1 with 5:20 to play but the Mercyhurst defense kept the Royals from getting back on the scoreboard for the next 29 minutes of play.

Transfer Jordan Witt put Mercyhurst on top for good just 56 seconds after Queens had tied the game on an assist from Aaron Manzer and the Lakers finished the first quarter with a 3-1 lead after Thon posted his second score of the period with 3:20 left.

Junior defenseman Matt Spahr, who was named a preseason All-American, posted the first goal of the second quarter and sophomore Tyler Burton added two more scores in the final three minutes of the half to make it 6-1 at the break.

Junior Mike Bartlett scored two of Mercyhurst's three second-half goals and Thon added the other as Queens was unable to mount any comeback attempt.

Mercyhurst outshot Queens 40-24 for the game and held a 32-29 lead in ground balls. LaShomb made 12 saves, including seven in the fourth period, to pick up the win. Spahr had a team-high five ground balls and he added three caused turnovers.

Queens drops to 1-2 on the year with both losses coming against East Coast Conference teams. The Royals lost to No. 7 C.W. Post 14-7. Mercyhurst will be back in action Wednesday as the Lakers travel to Laurinburg, N.C. to play St. Andrews at 4 p.m.