Elkins, W. Va. - After traveling to Elkins, WV for their finals regular season game, the Wheeling Men's Lacrosse team (7-6, 6-4) brought home the win to make their overall record above .500 to go into conference tournament play. The Cardinals will travel back to Walsh University for the quarterfinal game of the Great-Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament on Saturday, April 25th.
Wheeling set the tone for the game with a faceoff win by Mason Malec. Malec picked up his own ground ball, and not even 20 seconds later, Jack Rowe found Andrew Turner for the first goal of the game. Dominico Cataldo took the next faceoff for Wheeling and won it with a ground ball pickup by Rowe. The Cardinals and Senators shared possession for the next five minutes before Davis & Elkins scored to tie it at one. The Senators won the next faceoff, but they would once again share possession. After a save by Landen Martin, the Cardinals got the ball down to their end and Ben Tornatore was able to get it into the back of the net to take the lead. Davis & Elkins scored two more times to end the first quarter 3-2.
Malec won the first faceoff of the second quarter. Wheeling got a shot off, but Davis & Elkins got the ball and took it down to their end. Zack Bridenbacker was able to cause a turnover and get the ground ball before giving it to Ayden Shepard for Wheeling's third goal of the game. Cataldo won the next faceoff for the Cardinals, which later resulted in a Wheeling goal by Bridenbaker to take back the lead. Hajiyianni Marin was up for his third faceoff of the day and won it. It took some time to get the next goal, but Rowe was eventually able to sneak it, with the help of Zander Thomas. Wheeling once again won the faceoff, and this time Thomas was able to get his own goal. The Cardinals went on to score one more goal during the quarter to go into half time up 7-3.
Davis & Elkins started the second half off with a faceoff win. The ball went back and forth for the first five minutes before getting to Wheeling's end. After a penalty on the Senators, Shepard was able to get the ball to Tornatore for his second goal of the game. Davis & Elkins won the next faceoff, but Turner was quick to get the ball back and scored. Wheeling got another quick goal off the faceoff when Rowe found Bridenbaker to put up seven on the Senators. Rowe scored three more goals during the remainder of the quarter, while Davis & Elkins got one, to go into the final 15 minutes up by nine.
Cataldo won the first faceoff of the final quarter for the Cardinals, but it quickly turned into a Senators ball for their fifth goal of the day. Wheeling was quick to answer back with another goal right off the faceoff. Shepard got his collegiate debut on the faceoff and won it with a ground ball pick up from Hayden Evans. The Cardinals took a couple shots before Rowe got it in to give himself his fifth goal of the game. Davis & Elkins went on to win the next face off and then get their sixth goal of the day, but Rowe got himself another goal just a minute and a half after their goal. The Senators once again won the faceoff, but they didn't have it long before it turned into a Wheeling ball. After a wide shot, Turner kept possession for Wheeling and got the ball to Logan Parizer for his first collegiate goal. Davis & Elkins were able to get two more goals during the quarter. The game ended with a goal from Rowe and a Wheeling win, 18-8.
Jack Rowe led the offense in all categories with seven goals, three assists, and ten points. He has now set himself a new career high of single game goals with seven. Landon Gallegher and Andrew Turner led defensively with six ground balls each, while 10 Cardinals were able to cause turnovers. Hayijianni Marin was the lead faceoff man going 8-11, while Cataldo went 5-9 and Malec went 4-8; with Ayden Shepard making his faceoff debut and winning it. Landen Martin made 19 saves on 25 shots, while Colton Rose got in his second game of the season and made one save on three shots.
The Cardinals will travel back to Walsh University in North Canton, OH on Saturday April 25th for the quarterfinal game of the G-MAC Tournament.
