Contact: Adam Poklop, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Box Score

WINGATE, N.C. (Mar. 3, 2020) – Forced to play catch up after falling behind early, the North Central College men's lacrosse team fell by a score of 18-6 to Muhlenberg College (4-0) on Tuesday in the Cardinals' second stop of their spring break trip. 

After Scott Fayan found the back of the net twice in the opening two minutes to give the Mules a quick lead, Tommy Huizinga tried to stop the bleeding with a goal a minute later off Nick Rubino's assist; but the Mules extended their lead to 4-1 by scoring twice more in a 45-second span. Those proved to be the final goals of the quarter as stifling defense from both sides led to a scoreless final 11 minutes.

North Central struggled to make up ground in the second quarter as goals from Jack Moran and Riley Bachinski were overshadowed by another four-goal period from the Mules, who entered into halftime holding an 8-3 lead. The Cardinals came out of the break fired up and Huizinga quickly scored to cut the lead to four with 13:30 to play in the third. North Central's scorers fell quiet for the remainder of that period, allowing Muhlenberg to score four-straight goals, pushing the lead to 13-4.

The final period brought more of the same as the Cardinals again struggled to generate offense in a game in which they were held to 50 percent on clears (12-24) and out shot 56-26. Bachinski was able to score twice—including one that just beat the final horn—but it wasn't enough as Muhlenberg handed North Central its first loss of the 2020 season.

Bachinski led North Central's scorers with three goals, while Huizinga added two and Ben Staubus picked up two assists. In goal for 58 minutes, Jake Allgood made a game-high 16 saves.

North Central (2-1) will face Berry College on Mar. 6, with the opening face off scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern.

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