MACON, Ga. (3/18/2023) -- Senior
Luke Majick had a career day offensively and freshman
Drew Kessenich tallied his second-straight hat trick, but it was not enough as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team dropped a 16-12 contest at Mercer in its Atlantic Sun opener on Saturday.
On the day, the Titans registered five man-up goals, tied for the most in school history.
Majick recorded a career-best seven points on a career-high four goals and three assists, his third career hat trick, while Kessenich posted three goals and a helper for a season-high four points.
Sophomore
Jakob Hemme made 15 saves in net before giving way to senior
Tyler Hart. Graduate senior
David Beacom had a career-best three caused turnovers and tied his best with four ground balls, while junior
Noah Martin picked up a career-high six GB's with a caused turnover.
Detroit Mercy (0-5, 0-1 ASUN) saw Mercer (2-6, 1-1 ASUN) score three in row to start the game, but the Titans came right back, forcing a failed clear as redshirt freshman
Eoghan Mullett got the ground ball and found Kessenich for his first. The Titans then took advantage of a faceoff violation and senior
Ryan Birney beat the keeper to make it 3-2 at the 9:41 mark.
The Bears then went up 6-2, but the red, white and blue took advantage of a penalty as Majick started his offensive day, finding Kessenich for a score early in the second. Detroit Mercy then won the faceoff, and off another Bears' flag, Majick set up Kessenich and it was 6-4 with 13:16 left. It was also a two-score game at 7-5 as sophomore
Chase Mahabir got inside and beat the keeper with 10:52 remaining. Hemme made five more saves the rest of the half and had 11 at the break as Majick's first goal with 5:51 had the team down 9-6 and that is how it went into the half.
Majick added his second marker in the third off an assist from sophomore
Aidan Bishop as the team was down 10-7 with 11 minutes to go in the period, and Kessenich's third goal came early in the fourth off the man-up to get cut the deficit to 12-8.
Mercer took a 15-8 lead with just under nine minutes remaining, but the Titans showed no quit as Majick helped Bishop get free for a man-up goal, his first of the year. Majick then took a pass from Birney and tickled the twine with 4:10 left to make it 15-10 and a minute later, that duo was reversed as Majick found Birney and his rocket had the Titans trailing just 15-11. Majick put a bow on his day with an unassisted marker with over a minute to go.
Detroit Mercy will now return home for two straight as it hosts Utah next Saturday, March. 25, and Robert Morris on March 29, both 1:00 p.m. games.
Game Notes:
- The Titans still lead the all-time series, 5-3, and are 2-2 on the road
- The five man-up goals are tied for the most since in school history and the most since the Titans had five against Bellarmine in 2017
- Majick's previous career high in points was four on three occasions, while his previous best in goals was three last season at Ohio State and against Cleveland State
- Bishop had 10 goals last year
- Kessenich just had three goals at #15 Ohio State this past Tuesday
- Beacom also had four ground balls in the opener at VMI and last year at Ohio State and two caused turnovers against Marquette
- Hemme has made double-digit saves in 13 of his 15 career games, with a career-high and school-tying 28 at Michigan last season
