By Maggie Tifft, Sports Reporter
The Canisius Men’s Lacrosse team defeated Bellarmine University on Saturday, Feb. 17, before losing to Hobart College three days later.
The first game of the split weekend was on Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky, where the Griffs secured their first victory of the season, taking home an 8-7 win. The close contest between the Griffs and the Knights would eventually lead to a 3-1 run by Canisuis in the fourth quarter, giving the Griffs a one-point advantage as the clock ran out.
Senior midfielder and captain Jackson Webster counted four points to his name, including the eventual game-winner. Junior attacker and captain Patrick Mitchell recorded three points with two goals and one assist, while junior midfielder Kayden Easter contributed two goals.
After a close game on Saturday, the men’s lacrosse team had a quick turnaround as they faced another familiar face, the Hobart Statesmen, that following Tuesday. In the end, the Griffs ended up falling to their rival 13-9.
After a 5-0 start for the Statesmen, Canisius regrouped and recorded a shutout in the third quarter, their first shutout quarter of the season. “We didn’t have the same pregame focus…We knew Hobart was going to play at a faster tempo, and they caught us off guard. After the first quarter we adjusted and dug ourselves out of a hole”, said head coach Mark Miyashita.
Mitchell once again finished with two goals, but also added two assists to his name. Redshirt Junior Mikey Howe recorded his first two goals of the season, while Tommy Kunz notched a season high thirteen saves after his eleven-save performance the game prior.
The rest of the week is centered around the Robert Morris Colonials for the Griffs. The team travels to Moon Township, Pennsylvania for another local rival matchup on Saturday, Feb. 24.
“The biggest piece is that it’s a building process, so we’re trying to improve and learn, and run all the different things we do a little bit better every single game,” said Coach Miyashita. “Especially with such a quick turnaround you have to be able to learn on the fly, and that’s what’s going to help us as we get closer to MAAC play.”
The Griffs and Colonials have met a total of 15 times, with Robert Morris having a 10-5 advantage in the series. The Griffs will play at Joe Walton Stadium at 4:00 p.m Feb. 24.