Falcons Close Out Raiders in NACC Opener

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Concordia Wisconsin men's lacrosse team notched its sixth win of the 2024 season on Saturday afternoon, picking up a 9-6 victory against the MSOE Raiders. The win opened the Falcons' conference schedule, having started the season 5-3 in non-conference play.

Junior Max Esposito (Gaithersburg, Md.) put the Falcons on the board to begin the game, scoring the opening goal 2:26 into the contest.

The Raiders found a goal with 4:07 remaining in the quarter before senior Parker Beaudry (Sherwood Park, Alta.) put the Falcons back ahead. Picking up an assist on the tally was senior Brett Dowler (Tyrone, Ga.), which represented his first career point.

Concordia dominated the second period, scoring five unanswered goals to take a 7-1 lead into the break. Esposito and Beaudry contributed to the scoring parade, while the other three goals were scored by senior Matthew Sierzega (Grayslake, Ill.), junior Gio Nowotarski (Reading, Pa.) and freshman Jaxon Hill (Bismarck, N.D.).

Dawson Smith started the second half with consecutive goals for MSOE to trim the Concordia lead, but Esposito claimed his third score of the game to restore a five-goal advantage for the Falcons.

The Raiders brought the game to within two in the early going of the fourth quarter, rifling off three straight goals to set the scoreboard at 8-6. However, the Falcons shut down the MSOE offense for the remainder of the game, allowing just three shot attempts in the final 7:46 of the contest. Freshman Tyler Husby (Eagan, Minn.) sealed the win for Concordia with a goal in the final minutes, recording his ninth of the season to secure a 9-6 victory.

Freshman goaltender Travis Marquardt (Brookfield, Wis.) stopped 11 shots in the outing to collect his sixth career win in eight games.

Concordia will look to build a winning streak in its next matchup against the 1-4 Marian Sabres.