Men's Lacrosse Dominates Season Opener

MEQUON, Wis. - The Concordia Wisconsin men's lacrosse team kicked off its 2024 campaign with a bang in a frigid affair on Saturday afternoon, topping the Northland Lumberjacks 28-3. Concordia's 28 goals marked a program record, eclipsing the previous-best mark of 27 tallies set in 2013.

The Falcons surged to a 5-0 advantage after the first quarter, which included a pair of goals from junior Max Esposito (Gaithersburg, Md.), who would finish the game with a career-high six scores.

Concordia took complete control of the contest in the second, potting ten goals to take a 15-0 lead by the game's midway point. Senior Parker Beaudry (Sherwood Park, Alta.) recorded four of the Falcons' tallies, and fellow senior Caleb Ruger (Grafton, Wis.) picked up two of his team-leading five assists in the frame.

The third quarter saw Concordia expand its lead even further, outscoring them 8-2. The Falcons found the net three times early in the period before Northland collected its first goal of the game. After trading goals in response, the Falcons found three goals in the final 2:21 of the frame to carry a 23-2 lead into the fourth period of play.

Junior Griffin Bahr (Grand Rapids, Minn.) notched his second goal of the season to open the quarter, and after the third Lumberjacks goal of the game, Concordia struck on the scoreboard four more times. Freshman Ryan Svehla's (Minooka, Ill.) second goal of the game with 3:05 remaining in the game granted the Falcons their 28th tally of the match to set the program's single-game scoring record.

Three goaltenders split time in net for Concordia, as freshman Travis Marquardt (Brookfield, Wis.), sophomore Devin Goetsch (Appleton, Wis.), and junior Justin Kopp (Rochester, Minn.) all recorded saves in the outing.

The Falcons will look to continue their strong start to the season in their next contest against the Carroll Pioneers.