28 shots on goal, a plethora of forced turnovers and an explosive fourth quarter.
That’s what Marquette men’s lacrosse (2-2) used to take down Cleveland State (1-3) 15-7 Saturday afternoon at Valley Fields.
“What I’m most excited about today is we just got better,” Marquette head coach Jake Richard said. “Notre Dame really put us to the test last week, really challenged us in the middle of the field. The good thing about Cleveland State is they also challenge you in the middle of the field and we just handled it better this week.
“Controlled the pace in the game a little bit better and were able to stack wins all over the field. A great step in the right direction.”
After leading 6-4 after 30 minutes of play, the Golden Eagles both scored and allowed two goals apiece in the first 14 and a half minutes of the third quarter. That was until first-year attackman Noah Snyder scored his first career goal with 1:34 remaining in the frame.
“It felt amazing, it was electric,” Snyder said. “All the guys celebrating with me, it was a really good experience and everything I’ve been dreaming of honestly.”
The goal was the first of three for Snyder on the day, with his second one coming a minute and three seconds later and his third helping Marquette distance itself in the fourth quarter. After entering Saturday still looking for his first career point, the Irving, New York native tallied five.
“He’s a guy that just loves the game,” Richard said about Snyder. “Has a stick in his hands all the time, and he plays with energy and just loves every day of practice. So, it was only a matter of time to see him be successful on the field and as you can see, the bench was so excited for him. He’s a guy that guys believe in a lot, and I absolutely expect him to make some plays down the road.”
Snyder’s three goals were part of an extended 7-1 run that MU used to get ahead down the stretch, stretching a two-goal lead into an eventual eight-goal lead while outscoring the Vikings 5-1 in the final frame.
The Golden Eagles were sloppy in the initial stages of the match. Despite forcing four turnovers and just turning it over twice themselves, MU committed three penalties in the first 15 minutes.
The third penalty, a slash on graduate defenseman Ryan Kilcoyne, proved to be the costliest of the three as senior attackman Michael Care found redshirt sophomore Xander Johnson who tied the game at two.
The Golden Eagles cleaned it up the final 45 minutes of play, committing just one penalty the rest of the way.
Marquette’s midfield pressured the Vikings all day long, forcing them into 10 first half turnovers, and 19 for the game.
“I give a lot of credit to Cleveland State. They play an excellent game in the middle of the field,” Richard said. “The way they push the pace, push transition, and they’re gonna be a great team this year, they tested us a lot.
“We really hunkered down on our ride and our clear to improve in those areas. Notre Dame exposed us, and our midfielders performed in that phase, it allowed us to control the tempo a little better.”
Senior attackman Nolan Rappis tallied four assists and two goals on his way to a game-high six points. Sophomore attackman Carsen Brandt also tallied a hat trick for the second consecutive game.
The Golden Eagles now turn their attention to No. 15 Harvard (2-1), who they will face next Saturday, March 1st at Jordan Field in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The opening face-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST.
“…Harvard’s a great team to stack ourselves up against and see what can happen,” Richard said. “So, we’re excited to play the best always, and Harvard is one of those teams that’s in that conversation, and we’ll see if we can continue to find out who we are, and who we’ll become in Big East play.”
This story was written by Matthew Baltz. He can be reached at matthew.baltz@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @MatthewBaltzMU.
