MIDLAND, Michigan – The Lake Erie men's lacrosse team battled Northwood University on Wednesday evening, falling by a score of 15-5. Andrew Cramer got the Storm on the right track, scoring within three minutes of the opening face-off to give LEC an early lead. Later in the period, Joey Ellison followed it up with a goal of his own to knot the score at two-apiece. However, four straight goals by the Timberwolves created separation before the break, though Naythan Zurowski found the back of the net with 11 seconds left in the half to cut the deficit to 6-3.
The home team continued to pull away to start the third period, extending the lead to 9-3 before Ellison scored his 14th goal of the season midway through the quarter. After another Northwood goal, Billy Coughlin responded to keep things competitive, as it looked like the Storm would head into the final 15 minutes down 10-5. That unfortunately wasn't the case, as the Timberwolves scored in the final seconds of the third and went on to hold LEC scoreless in the fourth, despite four shots. Northwood remains undefeated in conference play and continues its program-best start at 8-2.
Notables
Nicolas Shankland was a force on the defensive end, causing three turnovers and scooping up six ground balls, both team highs. He also won the only faceoff for the Storm, who went 1-for-22 in that area.
Despite putting 14 of 19 shots on goal—a season-high 73.7%—Lake Erie's struggles at the faceoff X limited possessions, leading to 27 fewer shots than Northwood.
LEC recorded a season-high 30 ground balls, but Northwood controlled that area with 49. This is nothing new for the Timberwolves, who consistently win that battle, highlighted by their 78 ground balls in their previous game against Point Park.
Looking Ahead
Despite a 1-9 record, the conference playoff picture remains within reach. The top six teams qualify for the G-MAC Tournament, with the top two seeds earning a bye and seeds three and four hosting quarterfinal matchups. While the top four teams are beginning to separate themselves, the race for the final two spots remains wide open.
After a tough matchup against Davenport (6-0 in conference) this Saturday at 1 p.m., the Storm close the regular season against Malone, Tiffin, and Point Park, who have combined for a 4-11 conference record. With those opportunities ahead, Lake Erie still has a path to secure one of the final postseason spots.
Davenport enters Saturday on a week's rest, looking to stay unbeaten in conference play. They are averaging over 17 goals/game against G-MAC opponents with a +70 scoring margin. Senior Jayden Ashley leads the conference with 47 goals and is coming off a 10-goal performance against Thomas More after also scoring 10 earlier this season against Malone.
