Box Score ERIE, Pa.---The Wheeling Jesuit men's lacrosse team fell in the first round of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Men's Lacrosse Tournament to the No. 1 ranked team in NCAA Division II, Mercyhurst University. On Friday afternoon, the Cardinals battled the Lakers in the first half, but after the break, the No.1 team in the country surged for five consecutive goals en route to a 14-3 ECAC semifinal win.
 
Cardinals and the Lakers battled back-and-forth as both defenses had strong first period showings. Mercyhurst established a 1-0 advantage at the 10:49 mark as Jake McAndrew tallied the first goal of the inaugural 2013 ECAC Men's Lacrosse Tournament. The second goal of the game came at 4:56 by MU's James Chayka, and the Lakers buried another shot with 2:10 left in the first for a 3-0 advantage.
 
Mercyhurst carried the momentum into the second period, scoring its fourth goal in the opening 1:30. The Cardinals answered with a goal to keep the deficit at three goals, 4-1. At 11:50, Tyler Johnson hit the back of the net for his 11^th goal of the season which was assisted by Brian Frank; however, the No. 1 team in the country pushed the lead back to four on a shot by Brian Scheetz. ECAC All-Rookie midfielder, Bryce Brochu, continued the back-and-forth battle by rattling the cage for the 16^th time this season and the Cardinals' second goal with 5:07 left to play in the half, 5-2. Mercyhurst ended the half with a goal by Zac Reid to take a 6-2 halftime advantage.
 
After the break, Mercyhurst outscored the Cardinals 7-1 to advance to the conference championship game. With 2:58 remaining in the third period, Sean Wright connected with his 31^st goal and Jesuit's final goal of the season on a pass from Frank.
 
Senior defenseman and first team All-ECAC selection, Matt Maccario, led the Cardinals' defensive efforts. Maccario secured a team-high six ground balls and caused three turnovers. Senior Ed Monahan followed with a team-best four caused turnovers and two ground balls while Corey Luebbe recorded three caused turnovers and two ground balls. Brochu and Aaron Gofreed each tallied a caused turnover, and Johnson and Landon DelPrince picked up two ground balls apiece.
 
WJU's senior goalie, Jim LaPenna, collected 13 saves in his final game between the pipes for WJU.
 
Wheeling Jesuit ended the season with an overall record of 12-6 and finished fourth in the inaugural Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference year with a 4-3 record.