PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's lacrosse team played their first home game of the 2025 campaign on Wednesday, falling to No. 9 Seton Hill, 13-5. The Griffins, favored to win the conference, lived up to their billing, controlling most of the game despite a strong effort from the Storm. Lake Erie drops to 0-4 on the season, but three of those losses have come against top-13 ranked teams. They'll look to break into the win column when they face Thomas More next.

Game Recap

It took just 54 seconds for the Storm to strike first, marking their first lead of the season. A rare faceoff win set up Billy Coughlin to find senior Tim Woods for the easy goal. Seton Hill responded two minutes later to tie the game at 1-1, but Lake Erie answered quickly with two goals from Joey Ellison in a span of 34 seconds, giving the Storm a 3-1 edge. Neither team found the net for the rest of the first quarter, sending Lake Erie into the second period with a two-goal lead.

From there, the Storm offense was completely stifled. Seton Hill dominated possession, outshooting Lake Erie 44-12 over the next two periods. The Griffins also won 12 of 13 faceoffs in that stretch, keeping the Storm on their heels and limiting offensive opportunities. By the end of the third quarter, the game had been flipped on its head—Seton Hill rattled off 11 unanswered goals, turning a 3-1 deficit into a commanding 12-3 lead.

The Griffins tacked on another goal to open the fourth, extending their run to 12 straight before Andrew Cramer stopped the bleeding with 8:03 remaining, netting his first goal of the season. John Collins followed up with a goal off a Lasse Litfin assist to cut the deficit to eight, but the final 6:47 remained scoreless, sealing the 13-5 victory for Seton Hill.

Key Player Notes

• Joey Ellison led the team with two goals, bringing his season total to five—most on the team, ahead of Kyle Gardner and Zephaniah Scott (four each).

• Billy Coughlin dished out two assists, making him the only Storm player with three or more this season.

• Tim Woods scored his second goal of the year, while Andrew Cramer and John Collins each notched their first.

• Nicolas Shankland led the team with four ground balls, bringing his season total to 13. Gavin Conlan followed with three.

• Joshua Tucker (2) and Zephaniah Scott (1) combined for three caused turnovers.

• Gavin Conlan continued his stellar play in goal, racking up 19 saves. He now averages just under 16 per game, ranking third in the conference in saves per game and fourth in save percentage.

Team Notes

• Seton Hill outshot Lake Erie by 37, marking the Storm's worst shot-margin in a game since 2022—also against the Griffins, when they were outshot 65-22 in the season finale and 81-18 earlier that same season.

• Despite the loss, Lake Erie had more saves (19-11) and committed fewer turnovers (19-14).

• The Storm struggled on ground balls, collecting just 16 of the 57 available and winning only two of 21 faceoffs.

• Lake Erie converted one of three man-up opportunities, while their man-down defense held strong, shutting down all five of Seton Hill's man-up chances.

• Clearing was nearly identical, with Lake Erie going 24-for-29 and Seton Hill finishing 24-for-28.

Looking Ahead

Lake Erie travels to Kentucky on Saturday, March 8, to take on Thomas More. The Saints, who launched their lacrosse program in 2023, won just three total games in their first two seasons but have started 2025 strong at 2-1. They've secured wins over Earlham (25-4) and Northwood (12-11) and have been lethal in power-play opportunities, converting nine goals on 13 man-up scenarios. The Storm will look to contain that efficiency and pick up their first win of the season.