DETROIT (3/25/2023) -- Senior
Ryan Birney and sophomore
Nolan Graalman each tallied a hat trick, but the Titans could not contain an offensive-minded Utah team as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse program fell, 24-11, on a windy and rainy Saturday afternoon.
Both Birney and Graalman scored three goals, while freshman
Drew Kessenich had two goals and two assists for a team-high four points. Seniors
David Beacom and
Luke Majick and sophomore
Aidan Bishop each added a goal.
Sophomore
Jakob Hemme made a season-high 19 saves and picked up a career-best and team-high seven ground balls, while junior
Noah Martin had four GB's.
The Titans (0-6, 0-2 ASUN) trailed Utah (3-4, 2-0 ASUN) 2-0 before Graalman got the team on the board midway through the first quarter. The Utes then took a 5-1 lead, but the red, white and blue stormed back with three-straight markers. Hemme jumpstarted the charge on all three with a save as Beacom netted a goal at 5:31. Birney fired one in with 3:37 left, and junior
Ivan Progar found Bishop and he made it 5-4 with just under two minutes left.
Utah ended that with a 3-0 run when Kessenich struck to make it 8-5 early in the second. Detroit Mercy posted three more goals in the second period, with Majick scoring with 10:13 to go, Birney with his second a minute later and Kessenich finding Graalman for a score to make it a 13-8 margin at the break.
The Titans got even closer, cutting it to 13-9 at the 14:11 mark, as Kessenich laced one past the goalie, but the Utes then went on a 9-0 run to take control of the contest. Birney ended that with his hat-trick third goal with 13:50 left in the game and Kessenich set up Graalman's third marker with 3:34 remaining on the clock.
Graalman and Bishop also had three ground balls and sophomore
Will Marshall and freshman
Kyle Grant each had a caused turnover.
Detroit Mercy held Utah to 1-of-8 on the extra-man attack, but the Utes outshot the Titans, 69-40.
The red, white and blue will be back in action on Wednesday as they host Robert Morris in another ASUN match-up, with the first face-off set for 1:00 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Detroit Mercy is 0-3 all-time against Utah
- It was the sixth career hat trick for Birney
- Kessenich now has eight goals and three assists in his last three games
- Going back to last season, Hemme has posted double-digit saves in 14 of his 16 career games, with a career-high and school-tying 28 saves at Michigan last season
- His previous season-high in saves was 16 against Marquette
- Beacom's only other career goal was at Ohio State in 2020
- Martin has now tallied three caused turnovers and 15 ground balls in the last three games
