PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's lacrosse team hosted Northwood on Tuesday evening, turning an 8-6 halftime lead into a commanding 17-7 victory. The Storm initially stormed ahead with a 7-1 lead, but the Timberwolves rallied to shift momentum before halftime. However, sophomore Robert Weil's career-high six-goal performance helped Lake Erie close the game on a dominant 9-0 run, shutting down any hopes of a Northwood comeback. With the win, Lake Erie improves to 4-5 overall and, more importantly, 4-2 in G-MAC play, currently tied for third in the conference.

Game Recap

It didn't take long for Robert Weil to make his mark - just 48 seconds actually! This early lead was built-upon by Tim Woods just a minute later, as he found the net from an assist by Andrew Cramer to put their team on top 2-0 not even two minutes into the game. A little later, Joey Ellison was the beneficiary from an assist by Joshua Tucker, expanding their lead to three. While the Timberwolves were able to get on the board at the eight-minute mark, late Storm goals by Weil and Zephaniah Scott marked a 5-1 lead after the first period came to a close. 

The first half of the second period was much of the same: Lake Erie imposing their will on both ends. On defense, they had held Northwood up to this point to just seven shots in the first 24 minutes of action, and on the other end, found success in many different ways due to extra passes, constant movement, and accurate shot attempts. Goals by Weil, John Collins, and Zephaniah Scott had blossomed their lead to 8-2 with six minutes left in the period, but the Timberwolves found life and made the game interesting, ending the period on a 4-0 run, cutting their halftime deficit to just two scores. 

Out of the halftime break, another Northwood goal put the Storm lead at just 8-7, seemingly setting the fans up for a G-MAC classic, yet Lake Erie had other plans. Weil scored his fourth goal at the 12:24 mark, and two Joey Ellison goals gave his squad a more comfortable 11-7 advantage heading into the pivital fourth period. 

Six goals were scored in the final period... all by the good guys. The first half of the period went by scoreless, then Weil ignited a scoring barrage at the 7:35 mark. In the following four minutes (not even), Billy Coughlin, Tim Woods, Zephaniah Scott, and Naythan Zurowski all chipped in goals, emphatically sealing the Storm's fourth conference victory of the season. For good measure, Weil fired off another goal with 1:47 left to go, marking his sixth of the game - breaking his previous career high of two (which he set four different times). 

Player Notes

• Robert Weil scored a career-high six goals, tying John Collins' performance against Davis & Elkins for the most in a single game this season.

• Zephaniah Scott and Joey Ellison each recorded hat tricks, with Ellison now leading the team with 16 goals this season and Scott reaching double digits with 11.

• Tim Woods added two goals, bringing his season total to six, with four coming in the last three games.

• Billy Coughlin dished out two assists, taking sole possession of the team lead with nine.

• Joshua Tucker, primarily known for his defense, tallied his first career assist in his 44th game.

• Gavin Conlan led the team with four groundballs, while Joshua Hegbe, Lasse Litfin, and Sean Gavin each grabbed three.

• Face-offs: Hegbe went 8-for-16, while Noah Beckett finished 4-for-10.

• Goalie Gavin Conlan played the full game, recording seven saves.

Team Notes

Lake Erie has dominated the turnover battle this season, winning the margin in every game since the opener. The Storm finished +12 on the night (forcing 23 turnovers while committing just 11). They are now +37 in turnover differential on the season.

The Storm outperformed Northwood in key statistical categories:

• Shots: 41-23

• Shots on goal: 23-14

• Clears: 19/21 vs. 13/17

• Groundballs: 29-27

The only category where Northwood had a slight edge was face-offs, winning 15 of 27. Neither team converted on extra-man opportunities, both going 0-for-3.

The Matchup

This marked the first-ever meeting between Lake Erie and Northwood, as the Timberwolves fielded their first lacrosse team in 25 years. With the win, the Storm take a 1-0 lead in the series history.

Looking Ahead

Four games remain in the regular season for Lake Erie. Next up, the Storm travel 400 miles to Wilmington, Delaware, to face the Wildcats. Lake Erie is 1-3 against Wilmington over the past four seasons, with each matchup being highly competitive. The Wildcats, after losing their first three games of the season, are currently riding a three-game winning streak, including dominant victories over Dominican (31-2) and Bridgeport (19-9). Junior Andrew Dzubak leads Wilmington in both goals (13) and assists (9).