With just about five minutes remaining in Saturday’s non-conference matchup against Detroit Mercy, it appeared Marquette men’s lacrosse was on the verge of a last-second comeback.
The Golden Eagles caused a turnover and and were down 14-10, but they seemed to have all of the momentum going their way.
However, Detroit Mercy’s A.J. Van Voorhis pounced on a MU pass, thwarting Marquette’s comeback attempt and handing MU a 15-12 loss.
“They handled us from the moment the game started,” Marquette head coach Joe Amplo said. “They did a great job. Their staff prepared their team better than we did, and their kids certainly outperformed ours.”
The Titans dominated the first half, as Marquette tallied only three goals in the first 30 minutes of action.
“(Their defense) bullied us,” Amplo said. “They absolutely bullied us all over the field in every aspect and deserved to win.”
Detroit Mercy also started to dominate the second half, but the tide started to shift halfway through the third quarter.
Led by junior Peter Henkhaus, redshirt senior Tanner Thomson and junior Connor McClelland, Marquette began to claw its way back into the game.
MU’s defense improved, the offense was finding the back of the cage and the Golden Eagles were finally winning some of the 50-50 ground balls.
But Van Voorhis’ interception and goal ended the comeback.
Sophomore goalie John Hulsman struggled greatly against Detroit’s attack, allowing 10 goals and only making two saves in 33 minutes.
Henkhaus tallied five goals on the day and was the lone bright spot of the team Saturday. Thomson and McClelland both recorded two goals, and redshirt sophomores Griffin Fleming and Colin O’Donnell and sophomore Anthony Orsini each had one goal.
Marquette had no answer in the faceoff circle for two-time Second Team All-MAAC faceoff man Alex Jarzembowski, who went 19 for 30 from dot. Junior Jared Hershman went 7 for 17 at the dot, while freshman Thomas Washington went 4 for 9 prior to an injury.
Amplo said all of the credit for the loss goes to Detroit Mercy’s effort and tenacity and the stagnant nature of his team’s play.
“I don’t think our team had a spark,” Amplo said. “We got outplayed by Detroit. All the credit goes to them, their players, their coaches.”
For the Titans, Brett Erskine tallied four goals, Matthew Vangalen and Cam Kostus added three and Seth Mendell contributed a pair. Goalie Logan Shamblin allowed 10 goals but also made 11 saves on the day.
The Golden Eagles (2-1) will travel to Texas to take on Ohio State on Saturday at 12 p.m.
