LEXINGTON, Va. (2/4/2023) -- Senior Ryan Birney scored five goals and the Titans made a late comeback, but it was not enough as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team dropped its season opener on the road, 14-11, at VMI on Saturday.

Birney scored his five goals on a team-high 12 shots. Freshmen Zach Snider and Drew Kessenich each had two goals and sophomores Chase Mahabir and Nolan Graalman each tallied a marker.

Senior Tyler Hart made eight saves in net, while sophomore Jakob Hemme started and stopped seven shots. Freshman Kyle Grant had two caused turnovers and freshman Joe Janda picked up a team-high four ground balls. 

Birney started the scoring for the new year as Mahabir found him and he beat the keeper just four minutes into the contest to make it 1-1.

After VMI scored four straight, junior Cole Gellatly located Mahabir and he scored his first collegiate goal with 4:57 left in the first. In the second, senior Luke Majick found Kessenich and he posted his first collegiate marker to trim the deficit to 6-3 at the 13:16 mark. The Titans would pull within two, 7-5, as freshman Ayden Snow fed Snider for his first collegiate goal with 8:46 left, and after a faceoff win, Majick found Kessenich for a score midway through the second period.

Unfortunately, the Keydets went on a run to take a 14-5 lead, but Birney started a 6-0 spurt with a goal at the 4:14 mark in the third. After a save from Hart, Snider fired one in and it was 14-7 with 3:15 left. The red, white and blue would get one more tally in the third as another save from Hart led to Birney's third strike.

Graalman found the back of the net with 3:50 remaining in the contest and Birney finished the scoring with two more goals.

Detroit Mercy will now get ready for a trip to High Point next Saturday, Feb. 11. 

Game Notes:

• The Titans are now 4-11 all-time in season openers and 1-10 in season openers on the road
• Birney's career-best coming into the game was four goals against VMI last season

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