ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst Men's Lacrosse Team dropped their NCAA Tournament opening round match up with Seton Hill on Wednesday evening at Saxon Stadium by an 8-7 score. The Lakers were unable to force an overtime period after two shot attempts did not convert in the game's final minute. The loss ends Mercyhurst's 2022 season.

Unlike Saturday's GMAC Championship game, it was the Lakers who jumped out in front early in this one. Seton Hill did get the first tally of the contest before the Lakers rattled off five straight goals. Jacob Emerson tied the game at 1-1 with a score at the 10:38 mark of the first quarter before Ethan Landymore put the Lakers up one when he scored his 70th goal of the season on a man up advantage for the Lakers.

Shawn Doran won the opening face off of the second period which would lead to Mercyhurst's Jonathan Scherer picking up the ground ball and taking it the length of the field for the Lakers third score of the contest. Myles Hamm and Landymore added two more Laker goals at the 6:17 and 2:43 marks of the second quarter to put the Lakers up 5-1. The Griffins responded by closing out the half with a score of their own as it was Mercyhurst leading 5-2 at the halftime break.

Seton Hill would come out of halftime on a 3-0 scoring run which spanned the length of the third quarter. Jack Ellis scored back-to-back tallies for the Griffins before McGarity Harper tied the game for the first time since the first quarter with a goal at the 1:31 mark of the third quarter. 

Hamm put the Lakers back up with 12 minutes to play when he rocketed a shot past the cross of Seton Hill's Kevin Mo, however the Griffins put together back-to-back scores from Ellis and Zack Estabrooks just 30 seconds apart to put Seton Hill up 7-6. After the middle portion of the quarter went by with no scoring, the Griffins Thomas Hanulak added an insurance goal to put Seton Hill up two with 2:38 of game time remaining. 

Braden McCard gave the Lakers hope when his fifth goal of the season brought the team back to within one, however the Lakers would not capitalize on two shot attempts in the final minute as Seton Hill advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinal round.

The Lakers Brett Olney finished the game with 14 saves compared to 12 for Mo. The Griffins finished the contest outshooting the Lakers 22-19 while they had 17 turnovers compared to Mercyhurst's 19.