Story was edited due to stat changes
DETROIT (3/16/2024) -- Junior
Chase Mahabir recorded his first career hat trick and junior
Ryan Richters made a career-high 19 saves, but a second-half run by Mercer ruined the home opener as the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team was upended, 17-11, on Saturday afternoon.
Mahabir scored his three goals on just three shots and Richters had a season-high six ground balls. Graduate senior
Luke Majick had two goals, two assists with three ground balls, and junior
Aidan Bishop added two goals.
Sophomore
Eoghan Mullett posted a career-high three caused turnovers and junior
Kyle Grant picked up a career-best four GB's.
The Titans (0-5, 0-1 ASUN) took an early 2-0 lead as Majick found Bishop for a goal at the 11:36 mark, and after freshman
Joey Nawrocki won the ensuing faceoff, freshman
Lucas Goeller fired in a goal.
Mercer (2-4, 1-0 ASUN) came back with three straight, but the game was tied at 3-3 late in the first as junior
Nolan Graalman beat the netmider.
UDM would net the next two goals for a 5-3 advantage, as junior
Evan DeVito corralled a ground ball and raced down the field to beat the keeper with 12:10 left in the second. After a couple of saves by Richters, Mahabir's first marker had the team up by two with 8:10 remaining.
The Titans had a 6-4 lead with 1:50 to go before the half as Majick rang in his first, but the Bears answered with three in a row for a 7-6 lead a few minutes into the third. Majick then scored, and that was followed by a goal from sophomore
Drew Kessenich as the red, white, and blue jumped in front 8-7 with 12:01 left.
That is when Mercer got control of the game with an 8-0 spurt that ended when Mahabir found the back of the net with 6:48 left. Bishop and Mahabir would come up with goals in the final two minutes.
Senior
Noah Martin ended with two caused turnovers and three ground balls. Graduate senior
Kyle Loken tallied two caused turnovers and a ground ball and junior
Sean Henige and sophomore
Jackson Ewald each had a caused turnover and a ground ball.
The Titans registered a season-high with 38 shots and claimed a season-best 34 ground balls.
Detroit Mercy will have a busy week ahead as it travels to Robert Morris on Wednesday and to Utah on Saturday.
Game Notes:
- The Titans still lead the all-time series, 5-4, and is 3-1 at home in the match-up
- Majick has now scored a goal in all five games on the season, six in a row dating back to last year and 26 of his 35 career games as a Titan
- Majick is approaching top 10 in school history in points - 77 just seven shy of top 10 - and goals - 48 just three shy of top 10
- Mahabir had just four goals coming into this season but now has six on the year
- Goeller registered his first assist and point against Marquette and scored his first goal against the Buckeyes in the last game
- Bishop has started the season with a pair of goals in four games
- Mullett had two caused turnovers in three games last season
- Grant's previous high in ground balls was two at Queens last year
- Richters had a season-high 15 saves at Ohio State, which came after 12 with five ground balls at #16/14 Rutgers, 13 versus VMI, and 11 saves at Marquette
- The 19 saves were the most since teammate Jakob Hemme had 19 against Utah last season
