HOLLAND, MICH. -- Junior Neil Orr (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic) recorded a four-point game (three goals and an assist), but the Trine University men's lacrosse team fell by a slim margin to Hope College, 9-8, in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association contest in Holland, Mich.
Orr was one of two Thunder players to score three goals that also included fellow junior Conner Putman (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield). Sophomore Tyler Klima (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) and senior Nick Maher (DeWitt, Mich./DeWitt) both ended the day with two points, scoring a goal and an assist each. Junior Eric Peal (Imperial, Mo./Seckman) rounded out the point scorers with an assist.
Sophomore Joseph Steigmeyer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) started in goal for Trine and played the entire game while tallying eight saves.
Hope (9-1, 2-0 MIAA) grabbed a quick lead scoring its first goal 34 seconds into the first quarter. Approaching two minutes later, Trine (5-4, 0-1 MIAA) netted its first goal that came off the stick of Maher to even the game at 1-1. But the Flying Dutchmen then scored the final three goals of the period with markers at the 11:27, 4:14 and 3:13 minute marks to lead, 4-1, after the first 15 minutes.
Hope continued its scoring streak with the only two scores in the second quarter which came with 4:15 and 2:01 left to play as the Dutchmen took a 6-1 advantage into the locker rooms.
The Trine offense outscored Hope, 7-3, in the second half, beginning with four goals in the third quarter. The Thunder scored their first goal of the period at the 7:30 mark when Putman found the back of the net for the first time in the game. The Dutchmen recorded three goals of their own in the frame, including a goal before and two goals following the Putman score to lead, 9-2. Trine then rattled off three straight scores in the final 3:08 that included a pair of goals by Orr and an additional score by Klima to cut into the deficit, 9-5, heading into the fourth quarter.
Trine maintained its scoring run in the fourth that continued with Putman's second goal at the 13:32 mark. Putman then struck again with 9:11 left to play on a man-up opportunity to pull the Thunder to within two goals, 9-7. Neither would strike again until Orr scored his third goal of the game with just nine seconds remaining. Trine won the ensuing faceoff, but time expired before the Thunder could get a shot off, allowing the Dutchmen to hang on for the 9-8 final.
Trine will take on Albion (Mich.) College on Tuesday, Apr. 10 at Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium in Angola. The MIAA contest is set to begin at 7 p.m.