ROMEOSVILLE, Illinois -- The Lake Erie men's lacrosse team played its second game of the season on Saturday, falling to No. 13 Lewis by a final score of 16-7. Facing back-to-back ranked opponents to open the season, the Storm now sit at 0-2.
Momentum played a huge role in the contest. The Storm fell into an early 4-0 hole but responded with three straight goals, carrying that push into the second half to stay within striking distance. However, Lewis took control from there, going on a decisive 6-0 run to extend its lead to 15-5. While Lake Erie outscored the Flyers the rest of the way, the damage was already done, as Lewis secured a convincing victory.
Zephaniah Scott continued his strong start to the season. After scoring 22 goals in 41 career games entering the year, he already has four through two games, including a hat trick today (two unassisted, plus an 8:03 fourth-quarter goal assisted by Billy Coughlin). He leads the team in scoring so far.
Other notable performances included Joey Ellison, who scored two goals on two shots, while Billy Coughlin added one goal and two assists. Joshua Tucker led the team with three ground balls and caused two turnovers, Kyle Gardner found the back of the net for a goal, and Naythan Zurowski dished out an assist. In goal, Gavin Conlan made 14 saves, bringing his two-game total to 36—the most by a Storm goalie in a two-game stretch since 2022.
Face-offs continue to be a glaring issue for Lake Erie. The Storm went just 1-for-25 in this game, a struggle that dates back to last season. Despite making the G-MAC semifinals with a 6-2 conference record in 2024, they won face-offs at just a 29.6% clip. This season, the issue has worsened—Lake Erie has won just 3 of 44 attempts (6.8%), leading to fewer possessions and, ultimately, fewer shot opportunities (49 compared to opponents' 104).
Next up, the Storm stay on the road to face D'Youville on Wednesday, February 26, at 4 PM. The Saints (2-1) have already matched their win total from last season after a rough 2-14 campaign in 2024. They opened with a dominant 27-9 win over Davis & Elkins, suffered a heartbreaking 12-11 overtime loss to Malone, and are coming off an impressive 12-11 victory over Walsh.
