CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State University men's lacrosse team jumped out to an early lead and never let up in cruising past visiting Hampton, 19-6, Saturday afternoon inside Krenzler Dome.
CSU, which was hosting its inaugural Community Day in conjunction with the game, put forth its best offensive effort to date while facing a fellow newcomer to the Division I ranks.
Cleveland State set new program bests in goals (19), assists (12), shots (57), shots on goal (37), ground balls (43), faceoffs won (23) and faceoff win percentage (.793). The Vikings were also a perfect 25-for-25 on clears, marking the second time this season that CSU was perfect on the clear.
Freshman Michael Wilson had the best game to date of his standout rookie season. His seven points and five goals both marked the second such instance by a Viking and the first against a DI foe. He now has points in each of his first 11 games and owns six straight multi-point outings.
Sophomore Jack Frickleton became the third Viking to have six points in a contest as he posted a career-best four goals along with two assists. Freshman Tristen Hanna notched a season-best four points on two goals and two assists.
The Vikings were able to have such a large number of offensive chances thanks, in large part, to their dominance of the faceoff. Sophomore Danny Tesler won 12 of 13 while freshman Jack Dively won 8 of 13. Freshman Casey Platenik also won all three of his faceoffs and collected five ground balls.
Wilson scored on the first two possessions of the game to stake the Vikings to an early lead. He then contributed assists on two of CSU's next four possessions, with a Pirate goal sandwiched in between, to give the hosts a three-goal edge.
Freshman Jake Higgins soon caused a turnover with the Vikings playing down a man to kill of a Hampton EMO chance. A goal by freshman Derek Radke and a Hampton goal in the final 30 seconds of the period set the score at the end of the first quarter.
Hanna scored off a feed from sophomore Tristen Copeland on CSU's opening possession of the second quarter. Hampton cut the deficit back to three about four minutes later, but that would be the Pirates' last goal for over 20 minutes.
Cleveland State put the game away with an 8-0 run spanning halftime. The Vikings scored on 8-of-13 possessions in that run, discounting one that was established right before the half. Frickleton had three goals in the run, Wilson scored twice, both from Hanna, while senior long-stick midfielder Parese Williams and sophomores Noah Gleeson and Bobby Kidd III also scored.
CSU held the Pirates without a goal on seven possessions in this stretch, causing three turnovers, making two saves and backing up two wide shots.
Cleveland State saw out the victory without issue with numerous reserves seeing extended stretches of action. All 38 Vikings that dressed played in the game.
Radke scored two more goals in the second half to post a hat trick after entering the day with one goal on the season. It was his second multi-point game. Fellow rookie Jason Sullivan entered with a single point on the season and notched a trio of assists in the contest.
Sophomore Robert Humphreys scored the first goal of his career in the fourth quarter, and picked up a pair of ground balls, while sophomore Nate Menendez collected his first career assist.
Sophomore Sherwin Gersten added the third multi-point game of his career, and first of 2018, with a goal and an assist.
Wilson now has nine multi-point games, six multi-goal efforts and four multi-assist performances this season. His first hat trick gave him five multi-goal games in the last eight contests.
Frickleton now has 13 career multi-point games, seven multi-goal games and five multi-assist games, all of which are the most among active Vikings.
Cleveland State had nine different goal scorers Saturday, its most against a Division I opponent, while its 12 players with a point tied the program high.
Freshman long-stick midfielder Michael Harris had two ground balls and is the only Viking to have at least one in every game this season.
Freshman Brady Moze made his collegiate debut and stopped four of six shots. Sophomore Marshal Amon posted a trio of saves on four shots on goal.
Freshman Matt Manfredi made his first collegiate start Saturday while sophomore Zach Whitenack started on defense for the first time this season. Freshman Austin DelGatto joined Moze in making his collegiate debut in the game.
Cleveland State had fewer penalty minutes than its opponent for the 17th time in its 25 games.
The Vikings will close a stretch of facing three nationally ranked opponents in four games when they cross the border into Pennsylvania to take on Robert Morris next Saturday, April 14.