QUICK HITS
- No. 13 Denver fought off a CSU upset bid with a 10-6 win
- The Vikings trailed by just a single goal midway through the third quarter
- Sophomore Gareth Haigh made 12 saves on 22 shots on goal
- Sophomore Ryan Haigh produced his fourth multi-goal effort of 2020
- Junior Michael Wilson scored to extend his point streak to 10 games
- The contest was the third straight against a nationally ranked foe for CSU
GAME RECAP
The Cleveland State University lacrosse team played a tight game with No. 13 Denver, but the Pioneers pulled away in the fourth quarter to claim a 10-6 victory in the Face-Off Classic Sunday afternoon at a chilly Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.
One day after claiming the first win over a nationally ranked opponent in program history, the Vikings seemed as though they might duplicate the feat for the second time in as many days. However, Denver scored four of the game's final five goals to avoid the upset.
Sophomore Gareth Haigh was a main reason why the Vikings were in the game as he stopped 12 shots in the cage. Haigh, who added a career-high six ground balls, stopped more than half the shots he faced for the first time this season.
The other half of the Haigh tandem, Ryan, contributed a pair of goals on the other end of the field. It was his fourth multi-goal outing of the season and extended his goal streak to a half dozen games.
Junior Derek Radke added a goal and an assist to notch his first multi-point effort of the season.
CSU had advantages in faceoffs won and ground balls while also holding Denver without a man-up goal.
The teams alternated scoring in the first quarter, with each team finding the net twice. Haigh scored courtesy of junior Tristan Hanna for CSU before freshman Ian McKissick opened his collegiate account in the latter half of the frame.
Radke set up junior Michael Wilson early in the second quarter before finding the net himself a few minutes later to put the Vikings on top, 4-2.
However, Denver scored three times in the final four minutes of the half to head into the break with a 5-4 lead.
The teams each scored once in the opening half of the third quarter, with senior Stephen Masi striking unassisted for the Vikings. Denver would add the final goal of the third quarter to take a 7-5 lead into the final period.
Cleveland State was unable to find the net until late in the final quarter, and Denver effectively put the game away by scoring twice in the game's final five minutes.
Senior co-captain Danny Tesler won 11-of-20 faceoffs and collected six ground balls. Fellow co-captain Isaac Atencio had three caused turnovers and a pair of ground balls.
Wilson's goal and Hanna's assist extended their point streaks to 10 and nine games, respectively.
Sophomore Nick Polydoras added an assist for CSU.
After playing two games in two days, Cleveland State will take next weekend off before returning to action March 6 when it hosts Bellarmine.
