ALBION, MICH. -- The Trine University men's lacrosse team fell to Albion (Mich.) College, 17-5, in a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association game in Albion, Mich.
Albion (4-7, 2-0 MIAA) needed just 43 seconds to tally its first goal of the game and then struck again just under the 13-minute mark to increase the lead to, 2-0, before ine (5-3, 0-2 MIAA) got on the scoreboard with a goal by senior Eric Peal (Imperial, Mo./Seckman) at the 8:33 mark to make it a 2-1 game. The Britons got the goal back when they found the back of the net with 6:04 to play in the first quarter to increase the margin to 3-1. Sophomore Jarod Schepp (Oconomowoc, Wis./Kettle Moraine) cut the Albion lead back to a goal with a marker about a minute-and-a-half later to make the score, 3-2. Just under the four minute mark, Albion scored the final goal of the period to pad its lead to 4-2 after the first 15 minutes of play.
Neither team recorded another goal until the 9:59 mark of the second quarter when Albion got another shot past the Trine netminder and extended the margin out to three scores, 5-2. Senior Neil Orr (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic) scored what turned out to be Trine's only goal of the period with 7:18 to go. But the Britons put a final goal on the board before the end of the half to go into the break leading by three goals, 6-3.
Albion took control of the game in the second half by outscoring Trine, 11-2, in the third and fourth quarters, beginning with five unanswered goals in period number three. After 45 minutes of action, the Briton lead had ballooned to, 11-3, heading into the final quarter.
The Britons added four more goals to begin the scoring in the fourth quarter and continued its scoring streak to nine straight before Peal netted his second goal of the game with 5:58 to go, but Trine would still trail by a sizeable, 15-4, margin. A little over 30 seconds later, Albion scored again and increased the margin to 16-4. Orr then tallied the final score of the game for Trine at the 3:36 mark with a man-up goal that made it a 16-5 game. The Britons tacked on one final score with just over three minutes remaining to end the scoring and cruise to the 17-5 final.
Orr and Peal both ended up with a two-point night with their two goals each. Junior Justin Gearig (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg) and senior Conner Putman (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) also finished with two points, but did so via a pair of assists apiece. Schepp rounded out the point scorers with his lone goal scored.
Junior Joseph Steigmeyer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) started the game in net for Trine and was eventually replaced by sophomore Anthony Marasco (Naperville, Ill./Nequa Valley). Sophomore Dave Keptner (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow) led the team in ground balls with five.
Trine will next travel to Adrian, Mich. for a MIAA matchup against Adrian College on Saturday, Apr. 13. The two teams are scheduled to square off at 4 p.m.