CUW Cruises Past Carroll

MEQUON, Wis. – For the second straight game, the Falcons notched 20+ goals in their win over the Pioneers of Carroll University with a final score of 23-7 to improve to 2-0 on the season. 

The scoring started with 12:28 left in the first quarter, as junior Max Esposito (Gaithersburg, Md.), on the pass from junior Gio Nowotarski (Reading, Pa.), gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead. 

20 seconds later, junior Cooper Fellows (De Pere, Wis.) scored his first goal of the season on a feed from senior Caleb Ruger (Grafton, Wis.) to put the Falcons up 2-0. 

Senior Parker Beaudry (Sherwood Park, Alta.) would extend the CUW lead to 3-0 after beating the Pioneer's goalie following a pass from Gio Nowotarski. 

A pair of back-to-back unassisted goals, the first coming from freshman Bryce Petersen (Waukesha, Wis.) with 6:33 remaining and the second coming courtesy of Max Esposito, earned the Falcons the 5-0 lead. 

Carroll would respond with one goal of their own to put it at 5-1 at the end of the first quarter.  

The early parts of the second quarter saw Parker Beaudry score three-straight goals on assists from senior Caleb Ruger (Grafton, Wis.), senior Matthew Sierzega (Grayslake, Ill.), and Max Esposito to put the Blue and White up 8-1 with 11:58 remaining in the half.

Max Esposito would score the last three goals of the half for CUW, including a shot that snuck past the Carroll goalie as time expired to take a commanding 11-3 lead.

Out of the break, with 12:07 remaining in the third quarter, Parker Beaudry would find the open Max Esposito, who would convert on the scoring opportunity to give CUW the 12-3 lead. 

Parker Beaudry would then score back-to-back goals with 11:37 and 11:04 remaining in the quarter, as Caleb Ruger assisted on both. 

After a Pioneers goal to put the score at 14-4, Parker Beaudry responded with his third goal of the third quarter, as Max Esposito assisted on the play.  

On a feed from Esposito, junior Griffin Bahr (Grand Rapids, Minn.) found the back of the net to give CUW the 16-4 advantage. 

A pair of Carroll penalties toward the end of the third quarter led the Falcons to score two man-up penalties, both of which came courtesy of Parker Beaudry to enjoy the 18-4 lead. 

The final goal of the quarter came off the stick of Matthew Sierzega, who scored with just 44 seconds left. 

Cooper Fellows returned to the scoring column, opening the scoring Concordia in the fourth quarter, as Bryce Petersen registered the assist. 

Petersen would record another assist three-and-a-half minutes later, finding Max Esposito for the man-up goal. 

The final two CUW goals both came courtesy of freshman Tyler Husby (Eagan, Minn.), as he scored with 4:30 remaining in the game on a feed from junior Hans Milchling (Cockeysville, Md.), while the second goal was unassisted to put the final score at 23-7.

Parker Beaudry led all scorers with nine goals, tying a CUW men's lacrosse program record for most goals in a single game, tying Derek Brueske and Marino Best. 

Max Esposito also set a career-high for goals in a single game, as he totaled seven on the day, along with three assists. 

Meanwhile, Caleb Ruger tied for third all-time in program history for assists in a single game, as he tallied a game-high with six. 

Sophomore Frank Trewyn (Mukwonago, Wis.) and freshman Jaxon Hill (Bismarck N.D.) led CUW with six ground balls apiece, while Trewyn went 10-of-14 in faceoffs as Hill went 13-of-18. 

Freshman Travis Marquardt (Brookfield, Wis.) picked up the win as he recorded seven saves in the effort and picked up the decision to move to 2-0 on the year. 

As a team, CUW went 3-of-4 on man-up opportunities and 22-of-24 in clearing opportunities. The Falcons also recorded 40 shots on goal.

The Falcons will look to improve to 3-0 for the first time in program history when they return to action on Saturday, Feb. 24th, in Indiana, to take on the Panthers of Hanover.