ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst men's lacrosse team started off their 2020 home slate of games with a bang as
Benjamin Smith-Wilcox,
Devin Pipher,
Caleb Kueber, and
Zach Lorenz all scored two goals apiece as the Lakers cruised past the visiting Flyers of Lewis University by a final of 10-2 on Saturday morning at Saxon Stadium.
The visitors got things rolling just 1:38 in when Thomas Purfeerst slipped a shot past
Hunter Emerson for the 1-0 edge. Mercyhurst went shotless for the opening seven minutes until Lorenz forced two saves out of Josh Calvin before
Nathan Grenon took the dish from Lorenz and beat the keeper to knot the score. Kueber would give the hosts the 2-1 lead to end the first as Pipher set him up at the crease.
The Lakers added to their advantage in the second at the 2:10 mark as
Haden Bates put the rock in the stick of Pipher who buried his first of the day for the 3-1 score. After a timeout by the Flyers, they tried to find some momentum, but Drew Kask and Purfeerst were both shot down by Emerson.
James Wittmeyer and Pipher had shots sail wide, before Lorenz netted a goal with 6:56 to go extending the lead to 4-1. Lorenz then added his second of the contest with 17-seconds remaining leaving the hosts up 5-1 at the break.
A turnover by Lewis early in the third resulted in goal number six when
Tommy Angelicola picked up the groundball and hit Pipher with the pass who eventually found Kueber for the goal. Just over minutes in Pipher cashed in a dish by Angelicola for the 7-1 advantage.
James Rettinger gave the Lakers their third goal of the frame with an unassisted beauty after causing a turnovers, scooping up the grournball and going coast-to-coast for the finish. Emerson would be tasked with making two more saves in the quarter on attempts from Cole Roth and Purfeerst.
Peter Carlson scored an unassisted tally 11-ticks into the final period to cut it down to 8-2, however it was answered just over a minuute later when Smith-Wilcox finished off a pass from Kueber at the doorstep recapturing the seven goal cushion 9-2. He then capped off the scoring on the day at the 7:43 mark as the Lakers finished off the 10-2 win.
Mercyhurst held a 46-23 edge in shots (25-11 on goal). They committed 17 turnovers to the visitors 26. Both sides were good in the clear game with the Lakers going 17-22, while the Flyers were 17-23. Neither side cashed in a man-up as Lewis went 0-3, with the hosts being held to no opportunities.
The group of Smith-Wilcox, Pipher, Kueber, and Lorenz combined for eight goals, five assists totalling 13 points. Rettinger and Grenon eached scored once.
Shawn Doran led the side in groundballs with six in addition to going 12-16 at the X.
Will Agate, Angelicola, Pipher and Kueber scooped up four. Emerson made nine save in cage for the win.
Carlson and Purfeerst accounted for the offense for Lewis, with Carlson also racking up seven groundballs.
Mercyhurst returns to action next Saturday, February 22nd when they travel to Philadelphia for a non-conference game against Chestnut Hill College beginning at 11 am.
