BELOIT, Wis. – The Beloit College men's lacrosse team battled hard but ultimately fell short against Benedictine University (IL), dropping a 13-7 decision at Strong Stadium on Saturday afternoon. A challenging second quarter created a deficit the Buccaneers couldn't overcome, despite a resilient final period.
The loss moves Beloit's record to 4-6 overall and 1-4 in conference play. The win pushes the Eagles to 4-8 overall and 3-4 in NACC play.
The game started promisingly for the Buccaneers. Freshman John Imbriale (Brooklyn, NY) opened the scoring just under six minutes into the contest, giving Beloit an early 1-0 lead. After Benedictine answered with two quick goals, Imbriale struck again with 3:27 left in the first quarter, knotting the score at 2-2. However, Benedictine managed one more goal before the period ended, taking a slim 3-2 advantage into the second frame.
The second quarter proved to be the turning point. Benedictine's offense clicked, outscoring Beloit 6-1 in the period. The run included four unanswered goals to start the quarter, extending the visitors' lead significantly. Beloit's lone goal came from Liam Walker (Elmhurst, Ill.), assisted by Ryder Story (Salem, Ore.), with 6:23 remaining before halftime. Despite Walker's tally, Benedictine added two more before the break, sending the teams into halftime with Beloit trailing 9-3.
Neither team found the net in a defensively focused third quarter.
Facing a six-goal deficit entering the final period, the Buccaeers showed fight, matching Benedictine's offensive output with four goals. Frank Pagano (Goshen, NY) scored his first of the game early in the quarter, assisted by Rilan Larmore (Olympia, Wash.), making it 9-4. After a Benedictine goal, Story found the net, assisted by Walker, followed shortly by Walker's second goal of the game (assisted by Story) to pull Beloit within three at 9-6 with 7:18 remaining.
However, Benedictine responded with three straight goals to quell the comeback attempt. Pagano added his second goal unassisted with 1:30 left on the clock for Beloit's final tally before Benedictine capped the scoring shortly after.
Pagano (2 goals), Walker (2 goals, 1 assist), and Imbriale (2 goals) led the scoring for Beloit. Story had a productive day with one goal and two assists. In goal, sophomore Eric Seo faced 27 shots on target, making 14 saves in a full 60 minutes of play.
Statistically, Benedictine held advantages in shots (43-27) and ground balls (37-15). Beloit was relatively efficient on clears, succeeding on 19 of 23 attempts (82.6%), but Benedictine was slightly better at 21-of-22 (95.5%).
The Buccaneers will look to regroup before hosting the Cornell College Rams on Wednesday night. Game time is set for 6 pm from Strong Stadium.
