DETROIT (3/4/2020) -- Rookies Ryan Birney and Kyle Waters recorded hat tricks and the Titans came back to tie the game on a couple of occasions, but they could not get ahead as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team lost a 16-13 high-scoring affair to Robert Morris on Wednesday night.

The game was the first-ever night lacrosse game in school history as permanent was installed at Titan Field last fall.

Waters also added an assist, while junior Ryan Figueiras, sophomore Cam Kostus and freshman Ivan Progar each had a goal and an assist. 

Senior Alex Jarzembowski was 21-of-32 at the faceoff with six ground balls and junior Paul Manuszek picked up a game-high eight with a caused turnover. Junior Logan Shamblin made 16 saves in net with five GB's.

The Titans (2-3) took an early lead as senior Seth Mendell scored and also led 2-1 in the first as Progar set up Waters for a goal. 

Detroit Mercy then knotted the game at 3-3 and 4-4 in the second before falling behind 8-4 late in the period. The red, white and blue fought back with four-straight goals to tie it again at 8-8 early in the third as well as 9-9 and 10-10, but RMU (3-2) then took the lead with three straight markers and extended its advantage to 15-11 late in the fourth. 

Senior Alex Akins had a caused turnover and junior Mason Kamminga had a caused turnover two ground balls and his first collegiate goal. Junior Brett Erskine handed out two assists and picked up five ground balls.

Shots were nearly even as RMU had a 42-39 edge, while the Titans won the ground ball battle, 40-35. The man-down unit also held the Colonials to just 1-of-7 on the extra-man attack. 

Detroit Mercy will now get ready for conference play as the Titans host St. Bonaventure next Saturday, Mar. 14, at Noon. 

First Period:

• Mendell took a pass from Waters and scored at the 13:43 mark
• Shamblin made four saves, but RMU tied the game with 7:49 to go
• Off a turnover, Progar set up Waters and he scored for a 2-1 lead at 6:52
• The Colonials scored two goals with 44 seconds remaining to take a 3-2 lead after one

Second Period:

• Off a faceoff win, Figueiras fed Kostus and his scored tied it at 3-3
• RMU scored right away, but back came the Titans as a faceoff win by Jarzembowski led to a ground ball by Manuszek and in transition, Kamminga beat the keeper for his first goal for a 4-4 game at 13:50
• The Titans had a couple of man-up opportunities and didn't score and the Colonials netted four-straight markers for an 8-4 lead with 1:40 left
• Kostus was able to locate Birney and his goal ended that and sent the Titans down 8-5 at the break

Third Period:

• Shamblin made two saves and then Erskine found Birney for another goal to cut it to 8-6
• Progar scored at 11:11 to get the red, white and blue within one, 8-7, and some tough Titan defense gave them the ball back and Erskine hooked up with junior Matt Blevins and his goal knotted it all up at 8-8 with 9:03 remaining
• The Titans also tied the game at 9-9 as Figueiras scored on the man-down  and again at 10-10 as a faceoff win by Jarzembowski led to Waters beating the keeper at 5:44
• RMU then ended the period with two-straight goals

Fourth Period:

• The Colonials led 13-10 when sophomore AJ Van Voorhis scored at 5:01 
• RMU opened its lead to 15-11 when Waters scored at 1:33 and off another win at faceoff by Jarzembowski, Birney got his hat trick to make it 15-13 with 1:33 to go

Game Notes:

• Detroit Mercy installed permanent lighting at Titan Field in the fall of 2019. 
• The state-of-the-art addition was one of the initiatives in The Campaign for University of Detroit Mercy, a $100-million fundraising effort that supports student scholarships, academic programs, faculty research and facilities. The campaign, which marks a significant milestone in the University's history, reached its $100-million goal in January 2019, one year ahead of schedule
• Detroit Mercy is now 1-7 all-time against Robert Morris
• It was Birney's first career hat trick and the second for Waters on the season
• Jazembowski has now won double-digit faceoffs in 32 career games, including 12 games with 15 or more faceoffs wins and four with 20 or more
• Logan now has 23 games with double-digit saves and seven with 15 or more in his career
• Mendell is now tied for fourth in school history with 104 career points, 42 shy of third place
• Erskine moved to eighth place with 85 career points
• Akins now has 44 career caused turnovers
• Figueiras became the 10th Titan all-time to score with the man down and the first since Erskine did it at St. Bonaventure last season
• Manuszek now has five career games with eight or more ground balls
• Kamminga is the third Titan defenseman to score on the season as Akins had a marker against Marquette and Sam McClain scored against Bellarmine