GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. -- The Trine University men's lacrosse team ventured north of the boarder for a Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association matchup against Calvin (Mich.) College, but fell to the Knights by the final score of, 15-10, in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Calvin (10-7, 3-3 MIAA) scored the only goals of the first quarter and jumped out to commanding, 6-0, lead after the first 15 minutes of play.
Trine (7-4, 2-3 MIAA) looked to make a dent in the Calvin lead by outscoring the Knights, 4-1, in period number two which included scoring the first three markers of the second frame. Senior Conner Putman (Ridgefield, Conn./Ridgefield) scored back-to-back goals to get the scoring started at the 13:36 and 12:12 minute marks. Sophomore Tyler Corless (St. Clair Shores, Mich./De La Salle) then found the back of the net with 9:14 to go in the half to narrow the gap in half, 6-3. The lone Calvin goal came about 45 seconds after the Corless goal and increased the margin to 7-3. Just before the end of the half, Corless struck again with his second goal of the game to pull the Thunder back to within three scores at the break, 7-4.
Calvin began the third quarter by scoring the first two goals of the period before Trine's Tyler Klima (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) capitalized on a man-up opportunity with a little under seven minutes to go in the period. The two teams then combined for four goals in the final three minutes, beginning with a goal by senior Alex Jamieson (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) that made the score, 9-6. Following a goal by Calvin, junior Justin Gearig (Vicksburg, Mich./Vicksburg) then tallied his only goal of the game with 1:18 remaining which was followed by another "man-up" goal by Klima just before the end of the period as the Thunder trailed by two goals, 10-8, heading into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter started with consecutive goals by Calvin, but Trine answered with back-to-back goals of its own with scores by Putman and senior Neil Orr (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic) with 10:28 left in regulation. The Knights then put the game away by scoring three more times to end the game and held the Thunder scoreless the rest of the way en route to going on to win by the final of 15-10.
Putman led Trine in scoring with three goals and also added a game-high three assists to end the night with six points. Corless and Klima both finished with two goals and Klima also assisted on another to finish with three total points. Gearig rounded out the multi-point games with a goal and a pair of assists for three points.
Orr and Jamieson both recorded a point with a goal each.
Junior Joseph Steigmeyer (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) played the entire game at goalkeeper for Trine and made nine saves in 60 minutes. Sophomore Dave Keptner (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow) led the team in ground balls with 11 and was followed by junior Keith McCowan (Cary, Ill./Cary-Grove) with four ground balls.
Trine will play its final regular-season game on Saturday, Apr. 27 against Alma (Mich.) College in a MIAA contest in Alma, Mich. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
