Box Score
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Tied 7-7 at halftime, the Otterbein University men’s lacrosse team took control in the second half and ultimately earned a 14-11 victory over Mount St. Joseph Wednesday evening at Westerville Central High School.
The win moves Otterbein to 2-2 on the season, while the loss takes the Lions to 2-4 so far this spring.
Mount St. Joe’s scored the game’s first two goals, but Otterbein bounced back with three of its own. The first half remained a see-saw battle throughout, as the two sides went into intermission locked at 7-7.
The Cardinals controlled the tempo in the third quarter, holding the Lions scoreless en route to building an 11-7 lead entering the final frame.
The Lions clawed to within 11-9 early in the fourth quarter, but back-to-back Otterbein goals from Jeff Reese and Mikey O’Neal widened the margin back to four, 13-9, before hanging on for the 14-11 win.
O’Neal turned in a career effort, setting an Otterbein single-game points record with three goals and five assists. His five assists, all coming in the first half, are good enough to tie his single-game record from last season.
“Mikey played midfield last year, but we made the decision to move him up to attack this season because he is such a good feeder,” head coach Colin Hartnett said. “The move is working out great and he’s doing exactly what we hoped. He has terrific vision and is just a very smart lacrosse player.”
Sophomores Mike Dattolo and Eric Garris each added three goals and one assist in the win, while classmate Ryan Klipa contributed two scores himself. Junior goalie Adam Hatchard had ten saves in between the posts.
“We had no major changes,” said Hartnett of the halftime adjustments. "We touched on the importance of ball control and possession, and I thought we did a much better job in the second half of being patient and waiting for smart shots.”
The Cardinals held slim advantages in shots, 36-34, and ground balls, 32-30. Otterbein converted just 1 of 5 extra-man opportunities while the Lions were successful on 5 of their 6 chances.
Otterbein returns to action next Wednesday, March 28 when it hosts Albion College (Mich.) at Memorial Stadium. Starting time is set for 5 p.m.
