Face-Off Team, Four Hat Tricks Lead Men's Lacrosse Past Lake Erie

FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Men's Lacrosse team secured a commanding 20-6 home victory over Lake Erie on Saturday afternoon.
 
In a blistering start, FSU put up four goals within the first three minutes of the game. Graduate Chase Buckwalter was first on the board off an assist from senior Austin Sipes, followed a minute later by graduate Owen McCallum scoring a solo goal. The Sipes-Buckwalter connection put the third on the board, then senior Tyler Dooley made it 4-0 on his own. A seven-minute scoreless stretch featured junior Nate Jones making his first save in goal, then graduate Bubba Love put home the fifth on a Buckwalter assist. Jones made another stop with two minutes on the clock, as the Bobcat defense held LEC scoreless the rest of the period for a 5-0 advantage.
 
Just seven seconds into the second, junior Gregg Dort, Jr. took the opening face-off and took the ball home to score to push the lead to six. Jones third of the day led to another Buckwalter goal from Sipes, but just 30 seconds later the Storm got on the board at 7-1. Lake Erie scored once more to pull within five, but McCallum responded with a man-up score to go back up six. In the final five minutes, Sipes found the net on a Love assist, as again Jones stood tall twice to keep LEC at just the two goals. Junior Blaine Karotko added his first tally of the day to get FSU into double digits, though it would be the Storm to get the final goal of the half with eight seconds left for a 10-3 halftime score.
 
Frostburg was quick out of the break, as Sipes scored on a feed from graduate Justin Hulse, who then got his own goal from a McCallum pass. Love scored on a man-up opportunity with McCallum again assisting that built up a 13-3 lead. The only point in the next five minutes went the way of Lake Erie, but two quick-fire scores from Sipes and Love a minute apart kept the Bobcats in a healthy 15-4 advantage. McCallum earned his second goal of the game before the Storm ended the frame as they did the first half, with a late goal to make the contest 16-5.
 
Love kept the momentum going into the fourth, scoring twice in the first two and a half minutes on assists from Dooley and Buckwalter, who then put home Frostburg's third man-up goal of the day with 11 minutes to go and a 19-5 lead. Neither team generated much offense over the next eight minutes, as Jones continued to impress in goal with a couple saves, as finally Dooley put FSU's 20^th goal in with Sipes assisting. Lake Erie managed a goal with 38 seconds left to make the final 20-6 in favor of the Bobcats.
 
Love led all scorers with five goals on the day, while his pair of assists helped tie Sipes' three goals and four assists for a game-high seven total points. McCallum and Buckwalter each added a hat trick, combining for seven goals, four assists, and 11 total points. Junior Seamus Kearney helped lead the defensive effort, causing a pair of turnovers and picking up three groundballs, while Jones made nine saves in net. The face-off trio of Dort Jr., junior Alex Walstrum, and graduate Jashane Uter combined to win a whopping 26 of 29 in the circle.
 
With the win, Frostburg improves to 8-2 on the year, while Lake Erie falls to 4-6. FSU returns to action on Saturday, April 6 for a road match against ECC foe Roberts Wesleyan at 12 p.m. Information and updates will be posted to frostburgsports.com.