NORTH CANTON, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's lacrosse team faced off against Walsh on Tuesday, falling 15-4 to the Cavaliers. A tough first half left the Storm trailing 9-0 at the break, largely due to a significant shot disparity—just five attempts for Lake Erie compared to 31 for Walsh. Struggles in face-offs, groundballs, and clear opportunities proved to be the key factors in the loss. Despite a more active offense in the second half, the early deficit was too much to overcome. The Storm now sits at 3-5 overall and 3-2 in G-MAC play.
Game Recap
Statistically, the first half was Lake Erie's worst of the season. The Storm secured just eight of 30 possible groundballs and won only two of 11 face-offs. Even when they managed to gain possession, turnovers plagued them—coughing up the ball 14 times in the opening half alone, well above their season average of 17.4 per game.
Meanwhile, Walsh capitalized on their offensive chances, firing 31 shots (over one per minute), with 16 on target and nine finding the back of the net. Facing their largest halftime deficit since the 2023 G-MAC tournament against Mercyhurst, the Storm needed a strong second-half response.
Lake Erie showed signs of life early in the third quarter, netting two quick goals within the first three minutes (Zephaniah Scott and Andrew Cramer) to cut the deficit to 9-2. However, Walsh quickly regained control, forcing more turnovers and dictating the tempo with long offensive possessions. By the end of the third, the Cavaliers had stretched their lead to 12-2.
The Storm continued to fight in the final quarter, as Naythan Zurowski scored with 11:39 remaining. Yet, offensive struggles persisted under relentless Walsh pressure, and the team didn't score again until senior Tim Woods found the net with 3:03 left. By then, Walsh had already extended their lead to 14-4 and added another goal in the closing minutes to seal the 15-4 victory.
Player Notes
Zephaniah Scott, Andrew Cramer, Naythan Zurowski, and Tim Woods each contributed a goal for Lake Erie.
Walsh effectively shut down the Storm's four leading scorers—Joey Ellison, John Collins, Kyle Gardner, and Billy Coughlin—who had combined for 39 goals over seven games. They managed just six total shot attempts and failed to score.
Lasse Litfin led the team with four groundballs, while Noah Beckett, Nicolas Shankland, Joshua Hegbe, and Gavin Conlan each secured two.
Nicolas Shankland caused two turnovers, surpassing Joshua Tucker as the team's season leader.
Noah Beckett won three of eight face-offs, Joshua Hegbe went two for 14, and Nicolas Shankland finished 0 for 1.
Gavin Conlan recorded 11 saves, bringing his season total to exactly 100.
Team Stats
- Shots: Walsh 45 – Lake Erie 19
- Saves: Lake Erie 11 – Walsh 9
- Turnovers: Walsh 23 – Lake Erie 21
- Clears: Lake Erie 13/22 – Walsh 21/24
- Groundballs: Walsh 39 – Lake Erie 19
- Face-offs: Walsh 18 – Lake Erie 5
- Extra-Man Opportunities: Lake Erie 0/3 – Walsh 1/4
The Matchup
Despite Tuesday's loss, Lake Erie has historically dominated the matchup. From 2010-2019, the Storm went 9-0 against Walsh. The all-time record now stands at 12-2 in favor of Lake Erie.
Looking Ahead
The Storm will have a full week to regroup before hosting Northwood on Tuesday, March 25, at 7 PM. In their first season back after a 25-year hiatus, the Timberwolves enter at 2-5, with wins over William Jewell and Tiffin. Key players to watch include 6'2" freshman Andrew Rogers, 6'0" freshman Drew Lockwood, and 5'8" freshman Ryder Mulvey.
