By: Maggie Tifft
The Griffs lost in double overtime against Cleveland State for their first game on the Demske this season by a score of 10-9 on Friday evening.
For the entire game neither team was up by more than two goals, and the leader changed repeatedly as extra time was needed to declare a winner. The Vikings had spread their goals evenly amongst their players, while Canisius found two hat tricks from Patrick Mitchell and Jackson Webster, both captains of the 2024 season.
As regulation expired, rules state the game will play however many overtime periods are needed for someone to score one goal. In the first overtime period both teams got possession of the ball, Cleveland State winning the faceoff, but some missed shots and a huge save by junior goalie Tommy Kunz resulted in another 4 minutes of play.
The second overtime faceoff was won once again by the Vikings. Even with Kunz making two saves, the Vikings controlled the ball and were able to score as the clock was under a minute.
With the loss the Griffs fall to 2-3 on the 2024 season, with two-thirds of their regular season left. Another win for the team would pass their overall wins from the previous season.
The next test for the men’s lacrosse teams is this Saturday against the Quinnipiac Bobcats. This will be their first MAAC competition this year and their second game at home on the Demske. Faceoff is at 2 p.m. and will be game two of a double header weekend for Canisius Athletics.
Photo courtesy of Go Griffs