Contact: Tyler Bremner, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Results
 
LATROBE, Pa. (Mar. 11, 2024) – The North Central College men's lacrosse team completed their east coast road trip inching past the Saint Vincent College Bearcats, 10-9 in the final seconds Monday afternoon.

North Central began the action just 37 seconds into the match with Joey D'Cunha finding Charlie Snyder to notch the first goal of the game. Snyder looked to even out his stats just three minutes later completing an assist to an open Jude Vitale to put the Cardinals up early, 2-0. The Bearcats didn't stay down long as less than 60 seconds later Caleb Hawkins helped Tyler Harpst cut the lead by one. This was the beginning of a four-goal rally, as in the next ten minutes Hawkins, Cam Herring, and Justin Wodarek would put the Cardinals in the rearview, 4-2. Before the end of the period, Tom Eberhardt assisted Vitale in setting North Central back within one.

Beginning the second period, Vitale found room again for his second goal of the match with 13 minutes to go. The Bearcats would then cook up a man-up goal between an assist from Caleb Hawkins and a shot from Tyler Harpst. Luke Illgen got his first goal of the game just 33 seconds later with D'Cuhna on the setup, deadlocking the match at 5-5. Again, the Bearcats roared alive to end the period with three unanswered goals from Jordan Billet and Hawkins putting them back ahead, 8-5 into halftime.

Entering the third period, the Cardinals would fly back into the game as Eberhardt lobbed one in two minutes in. Illgen got in on the action at 10:28 and 8:27 to lift North Central back into the game with assists from Rylan McQueary and Vitale. A failed back-and-forth effort between the Cardinals and Bearcats would leave the score deadlocked at 8-8 into the final 15 minutes of competition.

Snyder started the period again with a goal just sixty seconds in to put Saint Vincent on notice. The Cardinals' defense locked down the Bearcats for the next ten minutes causing two turnovers and securing two groundballs. However, with 4:31 left on the clock, Liam McCall and Billet created a scoring opportunity to tie the game, 9-9. With the clock winding down and the odds of overtime seeming more likely, a save by Aidan Murphy with 18 seconds left gave the Cardinals one last offensive possession. Evan Watanabe drove down the field and assisted Illgen to the game-winning goal sealing the score, 10-9.

Illgen led the Cardinal offensive effort again in goals with four while Vitale followed behind with three and one assist. On defense Tucker Hanson led the team with three caused turnovers and two ground balls. At goal, Murphy clocked in all 60 minutes locking up 12 saves.

The Cardinals return to the Midwest to face Kalamazoo College on Wednesday. The match is set to begin at 5 p.m. at MacKenzie Field.

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