LEXINGTON, Va. (4/5/2025) – Redshirt freshman
Marcus Thundercloud's goal with 17 seconds left in the first overtime period lifted the University of Detroit Mercy men's lacrosse team to a 10-9 comeback victory at VMI Saturday afternoon.
It was the first overtime win for the Titans since 2018 and also another come-from-behind win against VMI, as UDM's biggest comeback win in school history was turning around an eight-goal differential against VMI in 2022 into a 16-11 triumph.
The Titans (2-6, 1-3 NEC) trailed 9-4 heading to the fourth quarter, but netted five goals to tie the game at 9-9 while shutting out the Keydets (8-3, 2-2 NEC) in the final period and overtime.
Thundercloud finished his day with three goals and an assist for four points. Senior Chase Mahabir added a goal and two assists for three points, while senior Aidan Bishop registered two points with a goal and an assist.
Senior Ryan Richters made 12 saves in goal for the Titans and scooped up five ground balls. Freshman Canton Lanham was 12-of-20 in the faceoff circle and tied his season-high with five ground balls. Fellow freshman Ian Greenwell picked up a season-best four ground balls and had a caused turnover, while junior Kyle Grant caused two turnovers and grabbed three GBs.
Detroit Mercy struggled out of the gate as they scored just two goals in the first half. After Thundercloud scored the Titans first goal, freshman Andrew Parker found the back of the net in the second quarter. The host Keydets took a 7-2 lead into the halftime break.
Goals by seniors Nolan Graalman and Will Marshall - his first of the season - made it a 7-4 game in the third, however VMI got two back to take a 9-4 lead into the fourth quarter.
UDM began their comeback in the fourth with Thundercloud's second goal of the game with 11:20 left in regulation. Thundercloud then assisted on Bishop's goal to make it 9-6 with 7:41 left.
A minute and a half later, sophomore Julian Greendeer found the back of the net for the Titans to make it 9-7 with 6:11 to go, and with momentum on the Titans side, senior Harold Skinner made it a one goal affair with 3:53 remaining off an assist by Mahabir.
Mahabir then beat the defense and tied the game for the Titans with 1:01 left in regulation.
Both sides were unable to find the back of the net in the first three minutes of overtime, but Thundercloud was able to net the winner for the Titans with 17 seconds left in the first OT and give the red, white, and blue their first NEC victory.
Detroit Mercy will return home next Saturday to face Wagner at noon from Titan Field in a lacrosse doubleheader that will have the women hosting Robert Morris right after.
Game Notes:
- This was the eighth career meeting between the two schools that were once rivals in the MAAC from 2010-13 as the Titans lead the match-up, 6-2, including 2-2 on the road.
- All eight games have been decided by five goals or less, including five by three or less
- Detroit Mercy is 6-6 all-time in overtime games, with its last extra session victory a 9-8 outcome over Monmouth on the road in 2018
- UDM came into the contest leading the league and 23rd in the nation with 8.71 caused turnovers per game and second in the league, and 18th in DI, in clearing percentage at .877
- Richters's came into the game second in the NEC and ninth in the nation with 13.4 saves per game and fourth in the league with a .519 save percentage
- Thundercloud now has 11 goals and 12 points in his last four games
- Richters now has 293 career saves and has tallied double-digit stops in 20 of the 21 games he has played in
- UDM's biggest comeback in school history was an eight-goal deficit in 2022 against VMI as the Titans turned a 9-1 game in the first period into a 16-11 victory
- Grant now has a caused turnover in seven of the eight games on the season, including multi-takeaway games in five
- Bishop now has 454 goals, 15 assists, 67 GB's, and 12 caused turnovers in his career
- Mahabir has registered at least two points in five games on the season
- Marshall now has five career goals to go with 15 caused turnovers and 43 ground balls
- Lanham is now 46-of-86 (53.4%) in the last five games after starting the year 10-of-35 (28.5%) in faceoffs
- Greenwell has recorded a ground ball in seven games and a caused turnover in five of them
- Parker has notched a goal in five of his seven games on the season
