COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (3/11/2017) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team saw the Air Force unleash a flurry of shots all game long, but the Titans were within three until a late run by the Falcons propelled the home team to a 13-8 win on Saturday afternoon.
Senior
Kyle Beauregard, sophomore
Matthew Vangalen and freshman
Donavon Dempsey each netted two goals, with Vangalen also registering an assist. Junior
Alec Gilhooly recorded a goal and an assist and junior
Sean Birney tallied a marker.
Senior
Jason Weber finished with 11 saves as he moves closer to the school record, just nine shy of that mark now with his 600 career stops.
Air Force (4-3) outshot Detroit Mercy (2-6) 51-24, but the Titans trailed by just three with 10 minutes left in the game.
The Titans were behind 9-4 with 11 minutes left in the third when sophomore
Patrick Walsh fed Birney and he fired one in. Beauregard then got the red, white and blue within three, 9-6 , as he beat the defense with a charge to the net and then put one past the keeper with 4:49 left in the period.
After an Air Force score, Vangalen pulled Detroit Mercy within three again, 10-7, with a wing dodge and then a laser to the back of the net with 13:34 remaining.
Another Air Force goal had the deficit at four, but back came Detroit Mercy as Vangalen found the rookie Dempsey and he buried one between the pipes to make it an 11-8 contest with 11 minutes left on the clock.
That was as close as the Titans would get with the Falcons adding two more goals in the next two minutes to pull away.
Weber picked up two ground balls as did Vangalen and juniors
Will Kane,
Charlie Hayes and
Austin Polson-McCannon. Kane and Hayes also had a caused turnover.
Senior
Ben Gjokaj was 8-of-19 in faceoffs, while freshman
Alex Jarzembowski was 3-of-4.
The Titans were 11-of-13 on clears and forced 12 turnovers, while holding the Falcons scoreless on the extra-man attack.
Detroit Mercy got on the board first as Gilhooly scored just a couple of minutes into the game. Beauregard then notched his first late in the opening period as the Titans trailed after one, 3-2.
Vangalen scored his first of the day in the second period and Dempsey tallied one with 4:51 left in the half as the Titans trailed at the break 8-4.
The Titans will now get ready for MAAC play as Detroit Mercy will host Manhattan next Saturday, March 18, at 11 a.m., at Titan Field. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Game Notes:
Air Force now leads the all-time series, 4-0, with three wins at Falcon Stadium… Air Force was the third team this season that the Titans have played on the road that are either ranked or receiving votes (No. 17 Ohio State, RV Marquette)… The 51 shots by Air Force was the most since Ohio State recorded 53 in the season opener in 2016… The Titans 24 shots were the fewest since posting 23 against Air Force last season… Beauregard now has a career-high 13 points and 10 goals on the season… Vangalen now has 30 points on the year as he continues to chase the school record of 49, set by Shayne Adams in 2014… Vangalen's 16 assists on the year are sixth in school history… Dempsey now has eight points and five goals in the last four games after starting the year with just a goal and an assist in his first four contests… Weber now has 600 career saves, just nine away from the school record of 609 held by A.J. Levell '13…
