Vikings Use Big Second Quarter to Take Down Bears

Vikings Use Big Second Quarter to Take Down Bears

Boxscore (PDF)

QUICK HITS

  • Cleveland State claimed a 12-8 win at Mercer to notch its second-ever Division I road win
  • The Vikings outscored the Bears 5-0 in the second quarter to take the lead and never trailed again
  • The Vikings had advantages in shots, shots on goal, faceoffs, ground balls and clearing percentage
  • Sophomore Michael Wilson had a game-high six points on a career-high tying five goals and an assist
  • Wilson now has points in each of his 19 collegiate starts
  • Sophomore Tristan Hanna had three goals and an assist
  • Hanna now has hat tricks in four straight games
  • Junior Danny Tesler won 17-of-23 faceoffs and notched his first assist of the season
  • Junior Jared Stepka posted his first career multi-goal game
  • Sophomore Jason Sullivan had his third multi-point game of the season with a goal and an assist

GAME RECAP

The Cleveland State University lacrosse team used a big second quarter to take control and led for the entire second half to claim a 12-8 victory at Mercer Saturday afternoon at an overcast Five Star Stadium.

Trailing, 2-1, after the end of the first quarter, the Vikings scored five goals in the second quarter while shutting out the Bears. CSU led by multiple goals for the remainder of the contest to claim its first road win of the season.

Cleveland State had advantages in a variety of statistical categories, including shots (49-29), shots on goal (27-14), ground balls (32-25) and faceoffs won (17-7). The Vikings also had the edge in clearing percentage.

Sophomore Michael Wilson led the Viking attack by posting a game-high six points. He had five goals, tying his career high, and added an assist. It was Wilson's first hat trick of the season and the second of his career.

Wilson's classmate, Tristan Hanna, continued his hot hand offensively by tallying three goals and an assist. Hanna now has hat tricks in four straight games, the most ever by a Viking.

Wilson and Hanna were able to get those opportunities on offense thanks, in part, to junior Danny Tesler's work on faceoffs. Tesler won 17-of-23 faceoffs, the fourth time in the last five games he won at least 60 percent of his faceoffs.

The teams traded man-up goals in the opening eight minutes of the contest, with junior Jack Frickleton scoring for the Vikings courtesy of a feed from freshman Ryan Haigh. Mercer added the final tally of the quarter late in the shot clock following a Viking turnover.

Hanna scored on the first possession of the second quarter following a CSU timeout after Tesler had won the faceoff. Wilson gave the Vikings the lead for good fewer than four minutes later with Hanna providing the assist.

After Tesler won the ensuing faceoff, junior Jared Stepka scored on a second straight possession for the Vikings. Hanna would add CSU's fourth goal of the quarter by scooping up a rebound and depositing it into the net before sophomore Jason Sullivan scored in the final two minutes to give CSU a four-goal lead at the break.

Mercer scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half to pull closer. However, Hanna and Stepka respond later in the quarter with a goal each to push the margin back to four.

The Bears would strike with just a couple ticks left in the third quarter before again scoring early in the fourth quarter to pull within 8-6.

Wilson then took over as his natural hat trick pushed the Viking lead to five goals with under 10 minutes to play. He scored on three consecutive CSU possessions, with freshman Nick Polydoras, Tesler and Sullivan providing the assists.

The Bears could get no closer than three goals for the remainder of the contest as Cleveland State saw out the win.

Redshirt sophomore Caleb Espinoza was credited with six saves.

Wilson now has five multi-point games this season and 15 in his career. Hanna now owns seven career multi-goal outings.

Tesler's assist was his first of the season while he also added four ground balls. Sophomore Jake Higgins collected seven ground balls on the day, often helping the Vikings win possession.

Cleveland State will continue its six-game road trip next weekend by visiting Marquette for the first time in program history.