Men's Lacrosse secures MLC Tournament berth with victory over Benedictine
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Benedictine (9-5, 5-3 MLC) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
|
Concordia Wisconsin (12-3, 7-1 MLC) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
MEQUON, Wis. – Concordia University Wisconsin overcame a slow start on Saturday afternoon to earn a 10-5 victory over Benedictine University at Fitting Field during a Midwest Lacrosse Conference matchup.
The win secures a spot in the MLC Tournament for the Falcons.
CUW trailed for just the fourth time this season after a quarter of play, 3-2, before its offense came back to life. They tallied a trio of goals in the second period and four-consecutive from the third into the fourth quarters to take control.
Statistics were even, but the Falcons 45-32 shot differential and 11 caused turnovers gave them the edge. They also held the Eagles to 2-of-7 on man-up opportunities, including 1-of-6 in the second half. CUW sophomore goaltender Thomas Mueller (Prior Lake, Minn.) again played well between the pipes and led the defensive efforts with 11 saves in a winning effort.
Following a 3-2 deficit after the opening quarter, the Falcons scored seven of the next eight goals to take a 9-4 lead with 10:26 remaining in the game. Of the seven goals that found the back of the net, just one was assisted on.
Senior Peter Morton (Albany, Ga.) led CUW with two goals and an assist, while junior Matt Larsen (Gurnee, Ill.) recorded a pair of goals. Six Falcons finished with a goal to lead a balanced scoring attack. Sophomore Mark Wilson (Calgary, Alberta) tied his career high with five ground balls, while sophomore Danny Bundra (Lake Zurich, Ill.) won 10-of-18 faceoffs. Junior Christopher Grenz (Centennial, Colo.) and junior Zach Lare (Perkasie, Pa.) caused two turnovers apiece.
BU (9-5, 5-3 MLC) was led by Brendon Berg and Trevor Buman who each netted a pair of goals. Stephen Link scored the Eagles other marker. Jeffrey Smitheram made 14 saves in goal and picked up a game-high nine ground balls. Steven Sladek caused a game-best three turnovers.
CUW returns to play on Wednesday for an all-important road trip to Carthage College for a 7 p.m. MLC matchup. The winner will receive the second seed in the MLC Tournament.
