(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia men's lacrosse returned home to host the #9 Lawrence Tech Blue Devils in another pivotal WHAC contest. In a high scoring, back-and-forth contest, the Cardinals would emerge victorious over a ranked WHAC rival for the second time in four days, taking down the Blue Devils by the score of 17-15.
Sam Bowling played a complete game in net, making 13 saves in the victory. Travis Wright led the team with 4 goals, while Cooper Regimbal recorded a squad best 2 assists. Sam Saje went 21-for-32 from the faceoff circle and picked up 19 ground balls, while Ross Preston, Hunter McCarty, and Jeff Harrison all caused multiple turnovers.
The Cardinals would get on the board first with an Evan Stuart unassisted goal at the 11:35 mark of the opening quarter. Lawrence Tech responded with a goal just over two minutes later, to which CUAA responded with a trio of goals in a 3-minute span by Cooper Regimbal, Travis Wright (assisted by Regimbal), and Noah Sorenson to make it 4-1 in favor of the Cardinals. After another LTU goal, Same Saje and Andrew Simmons (assisted by Preston) each picked up goals to make it a 6-2 Concordia advantage after the first frame.
Wright would set up Spencer Guppy for a goal just 43 seconds into the 2nd quarter before a pair of Blue Devil goals cut the CUAA lead to 3. Travis Wright and Evan Stuart both picked up goals to extend the lead to 5, but Lawrence Tech would answer with a strike once again. Cooper Regimbal scored with an assist from Andrew Simmons late in the opening half, giving Concordia the 10-5 lead heading into the break.
LTU opened the second half with a flurry of goals, netting 5 straight goals (including 2 on the man advantage) to tie the contest at 10. Hunter McCarty would set up Andrew Simmons for a goal to give Concordia the lead back, but Lawrence Tech would score again to make it 11-11 at the 4:45 mark in the 3rd quarter. CUAA responded with goals by Cooper Regimbal (assist by Stuart), Cross Papadelis, and Travis Wright to make it a 14-11 Cardinal lead heading into the final frame of play.
The sides would exchange the first 3 goals, as LTU scored a pair of goals sandwiching Travis Wright's 4th tally of the contest. Evan Stuart (assist by Regimbal) and Noah Sorenson would extend the Cardinal lead to 17-13 with goals of their own in the period, before LTU would answer with one at the 4:18 mark. The Blue Devils scored one more time with 11 seconds left to play in the contest, but Concordia would hold on for the eventual 17-15 victory.
The Cardinals will be back in action on Saturday, April 1st, when they play host to the 6th-ranked Siena Heights Saints. Game time is set for 4pm on Ferry Field at Cardinal Stadium.
