(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia men's lacrosse returned home to play host to the UM-Dearborn Wolverines. A quick start put Concordia in the lead early, an advantage they would not relinquish, leading for the final 58:49 of the contest as they secured a 14-7 victory for their 11th straight win.
Sam Bowling played a complete game in net, making 11 saves in the victory. Marcus Villagomez led the team with 3 goals, while Ross Preston recorded a squad best 2 assists. Sam Saje went 13-for-18 from the faceoff circle and picked up 11 ground balls, while Jagger Sines caused a team best 4 turnovers.
The Cardinals would get on the board first with a Travis Wright goal (assist by Spencer Guppy) just 1:11 into the contest. Marcus Villagomez (assist by Noah Sorenson) and Ross Preston (assist by Ryan Davis) both scored within the next 1:33 to extend the CUAA advantage to 3-0 less than three minutes into the game. UM-Dearborn would respond with goals at the 10:04 and 3:12 marks of the opening quarter, before a Spencer Guppy goal with 3 seconds remaining in the period put Concordia up 4-2 at the end of the first 15 minutes of play.
Goals by Evan Stuart and Cooper Regimbal less than 30 seconds apart would extend the Concordia advantage to 4 goals less than three minutes into the second frame. Villagomez would score his second tally of the game at the 7:00 mark, before the Wolverines responded with one of their own just 21 seconds later. Both sides would pick up chances the remainder of the half, but neither could convert, making it a 7-3 Cardinals lead as the teams went into the break.
Sam Saje opened the second half scoring in a blur, winning the faceoff and converting the possession into a goal just 8 seconds into the 3rd quarter. Evan Stuart would pick up a goal off a pass from Ross Preston 1:35 later to give CUAA a 6-goal lead early in the frame. The Wolverines responded with a goal before a Travis Wright shot (assist by Preston) on the man advantage put Concordia up 10-4. Villagomez (assist by Stuart) would complete the hat trick with 1:46 to go in the quarter, and Jagger Sines picked up a goal just 11 seconds later to give the Cardinals a 12-4 lead as they headed into the final quarter of play.
Ben Tadych (assist by Preston) opened the 4th quarter scoring with a goal to give the Cardinals a 9-goal lead, their biggest advantage of the contest. UM-Dearborn responded with a pair of goals, including one a man up, before an unassisted Ross Preston goal made it a 14-6 game with 4:23 to go. The Wolverines converted one last time on the man advantage with less than 2 minutes to go, but could get nothing else past netminder Sam Bowling, as Concordia would secure the 14-7 win.
The Cardinals will be back in action on Wednesday, April 19th, when they host their final home game of the regular season in a mid-week nonconference contest against Thomas More. Game time is set for 4pm on Ferry Field at Cardinal Stadium.
