Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
AURORA, Ill. – The Whittier College men's lacrosse team split two games over the weekend holding off Aurora University 12-8 before suffering a tough loss to Concordia (WI) 8-7.
With the split the Poets move back to .500 at 4-4 and look forward to a three game home stand beginning this Thursday, April 2 against Chapman University (7:00pm).
Game 1 (Whittier – 12, Aurora – 9)
It was a cool spring morning for the Purple & Gold as they opened their trip to Illinois. Whittier got on the board first with an unassisted goal from Aaron Self (San Clemente, Calif.). He would find the back of the goal three minutes later that put the Poets in front 2-1 before Jonathan Kassity (San Clemente, Calif.) would tally his first of the game with 8:12 to play in the first quarter.
The second quarter was a seesaw battle with each team adding two goals apiece. Maxwell Jones (San Clemente, Calif.) pushed the lead to 4-2 five minutes into the stanza. The Spartans would storm back to tie things up minutes later capped off with a man-up goal from Jason Koziol but Kassity would come down with 2:12 to play in the half being found by Jones that gave the Purple & Gold a 5-4 lead at intermission.
Out of the break, the Poets continued where they left off stretching their lead to 9-5 with a scoring run of four straight from Jones (2), Kassity, and Matt Symes (Canada).
However, the Spartans would come back with two of their own to close out the third to pull within two 9-7.
In the final quarter, Whittier would outscore AU 3-1 thanks to Symes, Nick Hernandez (La Mesa, Calif.) and Jones that secured the win.
Alex Cramer (Rocky Hill, CT) picked up the win playing all 60:00 collecting 10 saves against 18 shots.
Jones led the offense with four goals on six shots, and had three assists. Self finished with two goals and nine groundballs and was 11-15 on faceoffs and Connor Sexton (San Jose, Calif.) totaled three groundballs and two caused turnovers.
Game 2 (Concordia – 8, Whittier – 7)
The Falcons scored with eight seconds to go in regulation as Concordia (WI) stunned the Poets 8-7 at Fitting Field.
Whittier thought they had sent the game into OT following a Jones goal with :15 seconds left to play, which tied the game up at 7-7 but the ensuing :12 seconds would be the most entertaining. Concordia won the faceoff and the groundball was picked up by Mark Wilson who then went back into the defensive zone. He passed it up to Benjamin Smith, who then flung it nearly the entire length of the field bouncing several times before Mueller picked it up finding the back of the goal past freshman goalie Cramer that sent CUW to the one goal victory.
It was a defensive battle for 45 minutes of play, as four goals were score by each team and a combined 24 turnovers were recorded. The fourth quarter was completely different with seven goals be tallied and 15 shots being registered.
Kassity leveled the game at one being fed by defensiveman Max Myrick (San Diego, Calif.) with 3:24 to play in the first quarter. Jones and Foster Cunningham (San Anselmo, Calif.) would team up in the second to give Whittier a 4-3 lead at the break but in the third the Falcons would come up big defensively holding WC scoreless, while adding a score with :28 ticks left on the clock that leveled the game at 4-4.
CCW would take the lead 5-4 on their first possession of the fourth but two straight by Kassity and Symes would give the Purple & Gold a 6-5 lead with 9:39 to play. In a quick change for the Falcons they put Mueller in front of goal for more looks and it paid off down the stretch as he would score two of the final three goals for the come from behind victory.
Both teams were successful on the clear, with Whittier going 11-of-13 and CUW gaining successes on 16-of-18 chances. Early in the game shots on goal were heavily favored towards the Poets, but ended in a 16-15 advantage for the Purple & Gold.
Jones finished with three goals on five shots, had three groundballs and two caused turnovers. Kassity joined in with two goals and an assist and Sexton and Nick Angileri (San Jose, Calif.) combined for 11 groundballs.
