JEN HANTZ
STAFF WRITER
Despite the bright and blue sky, Franciscan University of Steubenville’s men’s lacrosse team left the Memorial Field glum after a 14-4 loss to Alfred State College on Saturday, March 23, at 1 p.m.
The Barons started strong by winning the faceoff, but their defense was weak, as they allowed the Alfred State Pioneers to score the first goal two minutes into the game. After battling on the field and several turnovers later, the Pioneers made three more goals, bringing the score 4-0 with 7:17 left in the quarter to play.
The Barons pushed hard offensively as freshman midfield and attack Jonathan Bookwalter and junior midfield Steve Smith both took shots; however, neither scored. The Pioneers eventually got the ball back and scored two more goals, ending the first quarter 6-0.
In the second quarter, the Barons fought offensively and took two shots on goal but still fell short. The Pioneers scored two more goals, but with 7:52 left to play, the Barons finally scored their first goal off a shot by freshman midfield Peter Laville assisted by freshman midfield Noah Smith.
After another goal by the Pioneers, Laville scored again, this time assisted by senior midfield Dan McCartney, and the quarter ended 9-2.
In the third quarter, the Pioneers continued to score despite the Barons’ efforts, but after several turnovers, McCartney scored with 7:48 left to play. The quarter ended 12-3.
The Pioneers kept up their momentum with another goal in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. The game got aggressive, and junior midfield Jonathan Lee and sophomore defense Austin Naset received penalties. The Barons continued to struggle defensively as the Pioneers kept attempting shots.
Sophomore defense Nicholas Brierley made the final goal of the game with an assist from sophomore attack Gavin Brown, and the game ended with the Barons trailing by 10 goals, 14-4.
Head coach Pete Rosaschi noted that Saturday’s game was more than just the numbers on the scoreboard. “We had great improvement today,” he said. “(We’ve) got to work on the fundamentals, … some of our basics. Once we have that we’ll be a formidable opponent.”
The Barons’ next home game will be against the Marietta College Pioneers at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 27.