Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Associate Director of Athletics Communications, 630-637-5302
 
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (March 21, 2026) – Despite a career performance from freshman goalkeeper Matthew Cranston, the North Central College men's lacrosse team came up just short in a tightly contested 9-7 loss to Calvin University on Saturday afternoon in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
 
North Central narrowly trailed Calvin in shots (37-36), ground balls (37-36), and faceoff wins (12-8). The Cardinals held the advantage in saves (16-9) and successful clears (25-22), while both teams recorded 11 caused turnovers.
 
Cranston put on a show in his first collegiate start in his home state, recording a career-high 16 saves and a .640 save percentage. Wyatt Hunt and Seth Rosen each tallied two goals, with Hunt adding an assist to lead the Cardinals with three points. Jake Scumaci, Ben Kerkow, and Jack Blaylock also found the back of the net, while Zachary Coursel, Ty Nagy, and Blaylock each recorded an assist.
 
Will Handberg led the defensive effort with four caused turnovers, a career high for the sophomore, while also collecting eight ground balls, one shy of his career best. Gavin Braley went 8-for-19 at the faceoff X and added three ground balls.
 
Braley won the opening faceoff, and Blaylock secured the ground ball as the Cardinals quickly pushed upfield. Coursel found Rosen for the game's opening goal. Calvin answered two minutes later to even the score. Hunt gave North Central a 2-1 lead with under four minutes remaining in the first quarter, scoring on a low shot from the crease. Calvin responded immediately, scoring twice before the three-minute mark to take a 3-2 lead, its first lead of the contest.
 
The Cardinals won the ensuing faceoff after a long loose ball and quickly converted it into a scoring opportunity. Will Sanchez advanced the ball and found Nagy, who connected with Rosen on the left side for the equalizer.
 
After a high-scoring first quarter, both defenses took control in the second, holding each other scoreless for over 10 minutes. Calvin broke the drought with a long possession that resulted in back-to-back goals, extending its lead to 5-3. Hunt's long-range strike just before halftime cut the deficit to 5-4 heading into the break.

Calvin struck early in the second half to take a 6-4 advantage. With 8:35 remaining in the third quarter, Blaylock fired in a long-range goal to pull the Cardinals within one. Later in the period, Scumaci finished a cross-crease feed from Blaylock with five seconds left on the shot clock to tie the game at 6-6. Calvin regained the lead just over a minute later with an unassisted goal.
 
North Central's defense came up strong early in the fourth quarter, forcing a Calvin timeout. Out of the break, Cranston made a key one-on-one save to regain possession, but the Cardinals were unable to capitalize immediately.
 
Moments later, a Calvin turnover led to a transition opportunity as Cranston cleared the ball to Kerkow, who raced through multiple defenders to score and tie the game at 7-7 with 10:17 remaining. Calvin responded with two quick goals, forcing a North Central timeout with seven minutes to play.
 
Cranston made four critical saves down the stretch to keep the Cardinals within striking distance, but the offense was unable to generate another goal as North Central fell 9-7.
 
The Cardinals return to Michigan on Wednesday, March 25, traveling to face Albion College at 6 p.m. ET at Alumni Field.