(PAINESVILLE, Ohio) — The lights were on and the stage was set, but unfortunately, Lake Erie College was unable to deliver a win on the opening night of the 2020-21 G-MAC football season, falling to Ohio Dominican, 28-3.

The score may not indicate it, but the game was closer than it seems. Despite winning by 25, Ohio Dominican didn't excel offensively. On the ground, the rusher with the highest yard total was Travis Whitaker with only 75 yards. In the passing realm, Lake Erie quarterback Gerald Gardner finished with a line of 17-28 on 169 yards passing. That's comparable to the performance put on by Panthers quarterback Evan Ernst, who threw 25-33 for 167 yards. Gardner's longest completion of the game at 43 yards easily topped Ernst's 17. Each quarterback had at least one interception. Ernst had one interception and one touchdown pass, while Gardner had two interceptions and no touchdown passes. Had merely one of Gardner's interceptions been turned into a touchdown pass, the game could have been even tighter.

Additionally, one the receiving end, redshirt freshman Nate Dantley Jr. picked up the most yards of any wideout on either team, wracking up 98 yards on six catches, including that 43-yard snag.

Lake Erie put the first points on the board of the game with 11:17 to go in the second quarter, when kicker Justin Smith drilled a 27-yard field goal through the uprights. That field goal marked the end of an impressive 15-play, 78-yard drive that took over half a quarter off the clock.

To the Storm's dismay though, this would be the only time they would register points on the night, as Ohio Dominican went on a run of posting 28 unanswered points. It started later in the second quarter, when running back Frederick Pitts V ran in a 13-yard touchdown. Just before halftime, Evan Ernst connected on a two-yard touchdown pass to Ty Wiley. Another Panthers touchdown in the third and then another in the fourth sealed the Storm's fate.

But Lake Erie still had plenty to build upon. Senior linebacker Thomas Covington and senior cornerback Tareeq Welch each had nine tackles in the game, and redshirt junior Tyrese Pearson grabbed an interception. Furthermore, Justin Smith registered a punt that went nearly 50 yards.

After playing on a Thursday night, the Storm will now have a long week to prepare for a road trip to Tiffin on Saturday, March 20. That game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. EST