CHARLOTTE, N.C. (4/1/2023) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team took its first-ever trip to Charlotte, but it was not memorable as the Titans were upended by Queens, 9-5, on Saturday.
Senior
Ryan Birney had two goals and came up with two more caused turnovers. Sophomore
Harold Skinner recorded his first collegiate goal and junior
Kyle Loken and sophomore
Nolan Graalman each found the back of the net, the first of the season for Loken.
Sophomore
Jakob Hemme made 11 saves in net as he held his second-straight opponent to single digits.
Sophomore Sean
Sean Henige and freshman
Kyle Grant each had two caused turnovers and two ground balls and redshirt freshman
Eoghan Mullett had a caused turnover and three GB's. Freshman
Logan Flaherty won 9-of-15 faceoffs and junior
Noah Martin registered three ground balls.
The Titans (1-7, 1-3 ASUN) tied the game at 1-1 as a caused turnover by Mullett set up Skinner's first career score with 8:12 left in the first. Hemme made five saves in the first to keep the game close, and the Titans knotted it at 2-2 early in the second as a Hemme stop eventually led to Loken's strike with 13:18 on the clock.
Queens (1-8, 1-3 ASUN) went ahead, 5-2, but Birney scored two straight with under four minutes left to make it a 5-4 contest at the half.
In the third period, Detroit Mercy went on the offensive, firing 14 shots with eight on net, but the Royals goalie was able to turn them away as Queens took a 6-4 lead after three and a 7-4 advantage early in the fourth. Graalman would find the back of the net with 4:39 left in the game to pull the team within two, 7-5, but that was as close as it would get.
The Titans outshot Queens, 42-40, and had more ground balls, 20-17. Detroit Mercy was also a perfect 18-of-18 on clears, but could not take advantage of the six Royals penalties as it was 0-of-6 with the extra-man attack.
The red, white and blue will be in action next Saturday, April 8, as the Titans host Lindenwood at Noon, which will be followed by the women's lacrosse game against Robert Morris at 4:00 p.m.
Game Notes:
- Birney had a career-high three caused turnovers his last time out against Robert Morris
- Going back to last season, Hemme has posted double-digit saves in 15 of his 18 career games
- Loken now has eight goals in his career, with five of those as a freshman
- Skinner was the fifth Titan to score his first collegiate goal of the season as freshmen Drew Kessenich and Zach Snider had two goals and sophomore Chase Mahabir scored his first collegiate marker at VMI, while freshman Ayden Snow had his first versus Marquette
- Martin has tallied three caused turnovers and 21ground balls in the last five games
- Flaherty won a season-high 10 faceoffs versus RMU and nine at Ohio State
- Henige also had two caused turnovers at High Point, while Grant had two caused turnovers at VMI
