INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The Lake Erie men's lacrosse team kicked off its season on the road against the University of Indianapolis, falling 13-3 in a competitive matchup—identical to last year's season opener against the Greyhounds. Despite the loss, Gavin Conlan was a bright spot in goal, tying a program record with 22 saves.

Game Recap
 

The Storm found themselves in an early hole, trailing 6-0 midway through the second period before Zephaniah Scott put them on the board just before halftime. Though Lake Erie was held to one goal in the first half, it wasn't for lack of effort—they actually outshot UIndy 14-11 in the opening quarter but struggled to convert. The second period was dominated by the Greyhounds, who outshot the Storm 21-3.

UIndy extended its lead to 8-1 early in the third, but Nicolas Shankland's goal halted the momentum. Minutes later, Tims Woods, assisted by Naythan Zurowski on a man-up opportunity, cut the deficit to 8-3 with just over a minute left in the quarter. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed as the Greyhounds responded just eight seconds later, pushing their lead back to six entering the final period. UIndy controlled the fourth quarter, tacking on four more goals to seal the 13-3 victory.

One of the biggest struggles for Lake Erie was faceoffs, where they won just 2 of 19 (10.5%). Faceoff woes have plagued the Storm in recent seasons—last year, they won the battle just once (16-15 vs. Tiffin) and finished with a conference-worst 29.6% win rate (129/307).

Defensively, the Storm were under heavy pressure, as UIndy fired 35 shots on goal—matching the highest total allowed by Lake Erie last season. The last time an opponent attempted more was two years ago, when the Greyhounds registered 39 shots in another season opener.

Key Player Notes

Zephaniah Scott paced the team in both shots (6) and shots-on-goal (3). 
Five players collected multiple groundballs: Nicolas Shankland (4), Lasse Litfin (3), Joshua Tucker (3), Andrew Cramer (3), and Donald Verschuure (2).
Goalkeeper Gavin Conlan recorded 22 saves, tying a school record. 

The Matchup

Saturday's loss extends Lake Erie's losing streak against UIndy to six games, dropping their all-time record in the series to 1-8. The Storm's lone victory came in 2018, a dominant 13-4 win.

Looking Ahead

Lake Erie will have a week off before traveling to Lewis on Saturday, February 22nd, at noon. The Flyers have started the season 2-1, picking up wins over #14 Newberry (12-10) and Walsh (14-7), while their lone loss came against #4 Limestone (19-8).

The Storm's home opener and first conference matchup will take place on March 5th when they welcome Seton Hill.