CRESTVIEW HILLS, Kentucky -- The Lake Erie men's lacrosse team traveled to Thomas More on Saturday in search of their first win of the season—and they didn't come back empty-handed. The Storm secured a hard-fought 12-8 victory, holding the Saints scoreless in the second half after a back-and-forth first two quarters. With the win, Lake Erie improves to 1-4 on the season and 1-1 in G-MAC play.

Game Recap

The Saints struck first, but Kyle Gardner quickly responded, followed by Robert Weil's first goal of the season to give the Storm an early lead with seven minutes left in the first period. Thomas More answered to tie it up, but consecutive goals from Joey Ellison helped Lake Erie close the quarter on top, 4-2.

Less than a minute into the second period, Billy Coughlin joined the scoring party, pushing the Storm's lead to three. However, the Saints fired back in a hurry, rattling off four goals in just 85 seconds to surge ahead 6-5. But the scoring frenzy wasn't over yet. John Collins tied the game before Gardner notched his second goal to reclaim the lead. Thomas More responded just seven seconds later to even the score at 7-apiece, but familiar faces—Ellison and Coughlin—found the net again. The Saints managed the final goal of the half, cutting Lake Erie's lead to 9-8 at the break.

After a wild, 11-goal second period, the third couldn't have been more different. The Saints, who had fired off 14 shots in the previous quarter, struggled to create any offensive momentum, managing just three shots—all unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Lake Erie took a more methodical approach, draining clock and waiting for the right shot. Despite taking 12 attempts, only one found the back of the net—a late-period strike from Ellison with 42 seconds left, giving the Storm a 10-8 cushion heading into the fourth.

Ellison wasted no time building on his dominant night, firing in his fifth goal just 36 seconds into the final frame off a Zephaniah Scott assist. Less than 30 seconds later, Lasse Litfin connected with a streaking Coughlin for another goal, extending the Storm's lead to 12-8. From there, Lake Erie's defense and coaching adjustments took center stage, completely shutting down the Saints' attack for the remainder of the game.

Player Notes

• Joey Ellison had a career night, scoring five goals—his single-game high. He leads the team this season with 10.
• Billy Coughlin recorded a hat trick for the fourth time in his career.
• Kyle Gardner found the net twice, marking his fifth multi-goal performance. He ranks second on the team with six goals this season.
• Zephaniah Scott, who had seven career assists in 45 games before tonight, dished out three in this contest.
• Naythan Zurowski and Lasse Litfin led the team with four groundballs each.
• Nicolas Shankland forced three of Lake Erie's 10 total turnovers.
• Noah Beckett won nine of his 15 faceoffs, a crucial improvement from previous games.
• Gavin Conlan anchored the defense with 13 saves. He now ranks third in total saves among G-MAC goalies.

Team Notes

• The Storm outshot Thomas More 44-27, a clear indicator of their dominance.
• Lake Erie edged the Saints in several key categories:
  • Turnovers: 22-23
  • Clear efficiency: 20/23 vs. 20/26
  • Groundballs: 33-29
  • Faceoffs won: 12-11

Looking Ahead

The Storm continue their road stretch on Tuesday, March 11, with a 4 PM matchup against Wheeling. While the Cardinals haven't posted a winning record since 2016, they remain a tough opponent—finishing 7-8 last season and currently sitting at 2-2 with wins over Holy Family and Davenport. Wheeling is led by senior Ty Taylor, who has already tallied nine goals this season.