Painesville, Oh. - For their second Great-Midwest Athletic Conference game, the Wheeling Men's Lacrosse team (2-2, 1-1) defeated Lake Erie College for the first time since 2017 8-7 in overtime.
The first quarter started with a faceoff win by Wheeling's Mason Malec. The Cardinals were able to get a couple shots off in the start before the Storm got the ball and made their own goal attempts. It was back and forth between shots and turnovers until Ayden Shepard got the first goal of the game, and of his career. Lake Erie decided to answer back right away by winning the faceoff and scoring right away. After the third faceoff, the Cardinals and Storm took turns making shots until Jack Rowe took the lead for Wheeling within the final seconds of the quarter.
Malec, once again, won the first faceoff of the quarter. The Cardinals and Storm played the second quarter as they did the first by going back and forth with shots and turnovers. After 11 minutes of no scoring, Lake Erie was able to find the back of the net and tied the score at two. Right off the next faceoff, the Storm got a man up opportunity and took it to take the lead. They did not keep the lead long as Malec and Joseph Farlaino were able to win the next two faceoffs. This allowed Shepard and Landon Gallagher to get two goals back-to-back to once again take the lead. Within the final seconds of the quarter, the Storm were able to get a shot off and land it into the back of the net to tie everything at four going into half time.
After half time, the Cardinals came back out motivated and won the first faceoff of the quarter for the third time. With that being said, the quarter would once again go back and forth with shots and turn overs; until Shepard was able to take back the lead and get his third goal of the day with five minutes remaining. Two and a half minutes went by and the Storm were able to tie it up, for the third time, in another man up opportunity. It didn't take Wheeling long to get another goal, thanks to Rowe. The Quarter ended on a penalty by Lake Erie, allowing Wheeling a man up opportunity to go into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter started off differently than the others with Wheeling getting the ball automatically. They got a couple shots off, but one did not make it before the shot clock ran out. Lake Erie then got the ball and was able to get a goal to make it double sixes on the board. That didn't bother the Cardinals, and Nate Castner was able to win the next faceoff, allowing Josh Wesneski to get the next goal. The game took a little pause from goals, until the Storm tied it up at seven with eight minutes left. Wheeling and Lake Erie went back and forth for the remainder of the game, and ended regulation tied at seven.
Over time started with the Storm winning the faceoff and getting it over the restraining line before they called a time out. They came back onto the field and took two shots at goalkeeper Landen Martin, but Martin didn't allow a goal and was able to get the ball back to the Cardinals. Once Wheeling was able to get the ball across the restraining line, they then called a time out. Coming out of the time out, Rowe was immediately able to find Zach Bridenbaker for the game winning goal. The Cardinals won 8-7 in overtime, and beat the Storm for the first time since 2017 where they also won 8-7 in triple overtime.
The Cardinals will take on Seton Hill Tuesday, March 17th in their home opener at Bishop Schmitt Field at 2 PM.
