MARIETTA, Ohio – The Otterbein men's lacrosse team matched its second-highest scoring game of league play on Wednesday night, outlasting host Marietta in a high-scoring affair to emerge 17-13 in the regular-season finale for both sides.
The Cardinals, behind seven-point showings from
Dom Dean/
Max Graham and a a huge showing from
Sam Becker at the faceoff X, claim the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament that begins this weekend. For the second year in a row, they will travel to Ada and play Ohio Northern in a quarterfinal matchup.
THE SCRIPT:
- Both sides traded momentum scores early as the game was knotted 3-3 by the end of the first quarter. Graham found Dean twice in the frame.
- Otterbein reached another gear with a huge run in the second, striking a 5-1 run to find some breathing room and double-up the Pios. However, the home side countered and ultimately scored at the horn to only trail 9-7 entering the break.
- The Cardinals clung to their narrow lead across most of a tight second half, grinding to maintain/expand leads of 10-9, 11-10 and then 13-21 early in the fourth quarter as Marietta just wouldn't go away.
- Consecutive goals from Graham would help provide the necessary space to victory, as he scored a pair four minutes apart and then watched Becker deliver a haymaker just six seconds after that. He won a quick faceoff and darted in to make the score 16-12.
THE BOX:
- Dean and Graham both had stellar outings offensively with seven points while Nathan Lewis added four goals of his own.
- Becker won a career-high 20 faceoffs over his 31 total chances, and picked up a whopping 19 ground balls to shatter the previous Otterbein single-game record of 14.
- Ethan Dewes and Jackson Jerdonek combined to cause seven turnovers on the back line.
- Otterbein finished with a 47-24 edge in overall shots.
POSTSEASON PREVIEW:
Opening faceoff at ONU this weekend is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Cardinals will be vying to get even after a 13-4 loss against the Polar Bears earlier this month.
