BELOIT, Wis. – In their NACC opener, under the lights at Strong Stadium, the Beloit College men's lacrosse team faced off against a high-powered Illinois Tech squad. Despite a resilient effort in the first half and a multi-goal performance from Ryder Story (Salem, Ore.), the Buccaneers (3-2) ultimately fell to the Scarlet Hawks by a final score of 13-4.
The Buccaneers (3-2, 0-1 NACC) showed flashes of brilliance early in the contest, proving they could trade blows with the visitors. After Illinois Tech jumped to a 2-0 lead, Beloit responded at the 7:03 mark of the first period. John Imbriale (Brooklyn, NY) found the back of the net off a clever feed from Rilan Larmore (Olympia, Wash.), cutting the deficit to one.
The second period was Beloit's strongest showing of the night. The Bucs' offense came alive with a three-goal surge that kept the game within reach. Samuel Van Der Kolk (Grand Haven, Mich.) ignited the rally early in the frame, scoring at 14:11 with an assist from Story.
The momentum continued as Story took over the scoring duties himself. At the 12:22 mark, Story capitalized on an assist from Liam Walker (Elmhurst, Ill.). Minutes later, Story struck again, this time assisted by Imbriale, to bring the score to a narrow 5-4. At that moment, the Buccaneers appeared to have the Scarlet Hawks on their heels.
While the offense provided the sparks, the Beloit defense worked tirelessly against a relentless Illinois Tech (1-6, 1-0 NACC) attack that peppered the goal with 49 shots. Goalkeeper Christian Moore (Dubuque, Iowa) was a wall for much of the game, recording 9 saves across 51 minutes of action to keep the Buccaneers competitive through the first half.
On the ground, the Bucs were led by Keegan Heikila (West Salem, Ore.), Moore, Cristian Lewis (Seattle, WA), and Imbriale, who each scooped up two ground balls to help navigate Illinois Tech's pressure.
Despite the narrow 7-4 margin at halftime, the second half proved difficult for the Buccaneers. Illinois Tech's defense tightened, shutting Beloit out in the third and fourth periods while the Scarlet Hawks' offense added six unanswered goals to seal the 13-4 victory.
The Buccaneers are back in action on Saturday on the road against Lake Forest. Game time from Farwell Field is set for 1pm.
