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Adrian, MI

The Wolverines were looking forward to their first home game and first division game last Saturday but inclement weather not only postponed the game, but forced its relocation. This meant on Tuesday the Wolverines had to get on a bus and head to Michigan to play their first division game as the away team. The forecast for the game also contributed to a less than ideal situation for the players with temperatures in the high 20′s with 15 mph winds bringing wind-chill into the equation. Those conditions were not too different than the Grove City weather the team has been practicing in, so they did their best to put the elements out of their mind and focus on executing the game plan.

Ryan Althausen won the opening face-off and the Wolverines were able to set up a couple of good looks at the cage but were unable to capitalize. This would set the tone for the first quarter as both teams went back and forth trading possessions without scoring. The game was still scoreless at the end of the first quarter. The home team would draw first blood with goals by midfielder Spencer Macek and attackman Nathan Woods. Despite feeling like they had the better overall run of play, the Wolverines now faced a two goal deficit. “We knew that our offense wasn’t going to stay quiet the whole game and we felt like we could shut them down the rest of the way, so we just tightened up defensively and kept trying to get the ball back to our offense”, said Junior Chris Dymski. The Wolverines would have a couple late chances to put a goal on the board, but Sophomore goalie Ryan Mailloux held strong and the Saints entered halftime with 2-0 lead.

The Wolverines went into halftime goalless, but feeling good about their defensive effort in the first half and with a man advantage to start the second half. The optimism quickly left the visiting team as they committed a quick turnover to start the second half and then conceded a penalty of their own to give the Saints a man advantage. The man-down unit would kill the penalty, but consecutive slashing penalties on Ryan Althausen would give the Saints another man advantage for two minutes. Once again, the defense held strong to keep the score 2-0. The Wolverines finally broke their goal draught on a finish by Dan Casselli and Dave Hall would add another one to tie the score up heading into the final quarter.

The final quarter was a defensive showdown with the teams remaining deadlocked through the first 12 minutes before Dan Casselli scored to give the Wolverines their first lead of the game with 2:56 left on the clock. The Saints would not go down without a fight, however, and the defense would face a furious attack in the final minutes of the game. Ryan Colby was called for a slash with 58 second remaining in the game which meant the man-down unit would have to hold strong to prevent over-time. The Saints were able to generate a couple shots on the man-up but they sailed left of cage. After calling a time-out with seven seconds left, the Wolverines survived the final rally to hold on to the 3-2 victory.

Goalie Chris Dymski made 7 saves (77.8%) and Ryan Herman led the defense with 6 groundballs for the Wolverines. On the other side goalie Ryan Mailloux 12 saves (80.0%) to lead a strong Saints defense.

On a night where a lot of things went wrong, the team was proud to come away with tough win. “Every division game we played last year was decided by one goal so we knew coming in it was going to be a tough game. We didn’t win pretty, but in the end we demonstrated a total team effort by the defense holding strong and the offense continuing to pound away until we had the lead” said Junior Ryan Althausen. The win improved the Wolverines record to 5-1 (1-0 in the division) on the season. They head to Indianapolis on Friday to play #20 ranked Washington-St. Louis.

Athens, TN

The Wolverines knew they had a tough weekend in front of them with three away games in three days, but they also knew it was important to get their season started-off the right way. The first game came against #22 Kennesaw State in Chattanooga, an hour bus ride from the team’s hotel. As the bus got closer the skies grew darker and by the time the team started warm-ups there was a steady rain falling. The nasty weather did nothing to damper the team’s spirit and they jumped out to an early lead. junior captain Ryan Althausen, who dominated the face-off circle all weekend winning 36 of 54 draws (66%), won the first two face-offs which led to two quick goals and the Wolverines had a 2-0 lead before Kennesaw even touched the ball.

The Wolverines suffered from some self-inflicted wounds on the defensive end, giving up goals in transition and failed-clears. A late goal by Kennesaw with 14 seconds left narrowed the Wolverines lead to 7-5 at halftime and gave the Owls some momentum heading into the second half. The break provided the team an opportunity to compose themselves and after some inspirational words from attackman Dan Casselli they came back and posted three goals in the third quarter. The defense also cut back on their miscues and responded with a strong second half only yielding two goals. Junior captain Chris Dymski led the defense, making 17 saves (70.8%) and scooping up 5 groundballs. Two freshman attackmen were instrumental in the Wolverine offense. Dan Casselli led all players in points with four goals and two assists, and Dave Hall added four goals and one assist. The 12-7 victory against a ranked opponent in sub-par weather conditions gave the team confidence heading into their game the following day against Tennessee Wesleyan.

On Friday afternoon the Wolverines did not have any rain to contend with, but the precipitation from the night before made the field a less than ideal playing surface. The mud could not stop the Grove City offense either and once again the Wolverines posted four first quarter goals. Tennessee Wesleyan would come back with two goals of their own to cut the lead to 4-2, but the Wolverines would score four more goals in the second quarter to take an 8-3 lead into halftime. Once again the defense was able to make adjustments at halftime and held the Bulldogs to only one goal in the second half. Close defensemen Ryan Colby, Matt Erdley, and Ryan Herman combined for 15 groundballs and Chris Dymski made nine saves (69.2%) to seal the victory. On the offensive end the team dominated the time of possession, but struggled to find the back of the net in the second half. Bulldog goalie Brandon Scott made thirteen saves for an incredible 86.7 save percentage. Dave Hall led all scorers with three goals and one assist, junior captain Ryan Cypher scored his first goal of the season, and sophomore Will Stumpf also added two goals. Freshman midfielder Josh Calhoun finished the scoring in the fourth quarter with his second goal of the game and of his career.

The Wolverines took their momentum into Saturday afternoon and despite playing games the previous two days came out with a lot of energy. Once again the offense quickly set the tone for the game posting two quick goals in their first two possessions. They would score two more goals before conceding one to the Georgia Southern Eagles on a fast-break. The first quarter ended with the score 5-1. The Wolverines would increase their lead to 9-1 in the second quarter before giving up back-to-back goals to see their lead cut to six. The eagles would add a fourth goal with just under two minutes remaining in the half, but the Wolverines would take the lead right back up to six with a nice combination from Casselli to Hall to Cypher to take a 10-4 lead into halftime.

The second half followed a familiar pattern. The defense tightened up, only allowing one goal the rest of the way, and the offense dominated possession while coming up with timely goals. Final score, Grove City: 15 – Georgia Southern: 5.

Dave Hall led a balanced attack with five goals and three assists, Dan Casselli and Will Stumpf had three goals apiece, Ryan Cypher had two goals, and senior midfielder Andrew Williams and freshman midfielder Lukas Toburen scored their first goals of the season. Chris Dymski made nine saves to end the weekend with a save percentage of 69.8%. The total team effort helped the team secure their third victory for a 3-0 start to the season and gives them confidence heading into North Carolina next weekend when they will face #11 Elon and Appalachian State.

Quick Hits:

• Alumnus Jordan Markley ’12, a close defenseman and captain last season, traveled down to the game on Saturday and provided inspiration to the team while handling the twitter feed. Thanks for the support!
• Ryan Althausen won the unsung hero of the weekend award for his work at the face-off circle, leading the team in groundballs (24) and his seven points (3 g, 4 a).
• Freshmen Dave Hall (12 g, 5 a) and Dan Casselli (8 g, 3 a) led the team in scoring.
• There was only one penalty called in the game against Tennessee Wesleyan, a cross-check to Ryan Cypher’s back with 30 seconds remaining in the contest.
• Our bus-driver Ray is a champion, thanks Ray!

The Wolverines held to a familiar pattern this year playing an in division rival to a one goal game. Grove City split their first two division games of the season, holding on to beat Carnegie Mellon 9-8 at home and losing to Walsh University in double overtime. To heighten the importance of the game, both teams saw it as a must win scenario. A Grove City loss would effectively end their chances of postseason play and clinch a birth for John Carroll in the CCLA play-offs. A win for Grove City would keep its destiny in its own hands and set up a showdown with #6 Dayton on Saturday. For the second time in three games, the Wolverines overcame a slow start to rally for four 4th quarter goals and score the game winning goal with less than a minute remaining. Once again it was Althausen and Irwin combining for the last second heroics, this time with Althausen recording the assist and Irwin firing home for the victory. The win pushed Grove City’s record to 7-4 and guaranteed a winning record for the Wolverines this season. It also maintained the Wolverines undefeated record at home, extending their streak to 4-0.

The game started well for the Wolverines who possessed the ball well and were able to generate good shots, but they would concede the first goal and faced an early 1-0 deficit. The defense settled down and would not allow John Carroll to score again until the 4th quarter. Sophomore attackman Ryan Cypher evened the score at one with a nice inside finish, and the teams would take a 1-1 deadlock into halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, John Carroll took advantage of a slashing penalty to go back up by one within the first minute of the last quarter, but the Wolverines would respond with three straight goals, two by junior midfielder Andrew Williams and one from sophomore midfielder Ryan Althausen to put the score at 4-2. A rare defensive miscue allowed the Blue Streaks to narrow the gap to one, and a fast-break moments later evened the score with 2:40 left on the clock. With 30 seconds left Althausen took a dodge, moved the ball backside to Irwin for a re-dodge and Irwin made his opportunity count, ripping the ball past goalie Mike Burgos (19 saves, .792%) who was largely responsible for keeping the Wolverines offense at bay. Senior captains Jordan Markley and Bill Sigmund, along with freshman Ryan Colby, did a remarkable job on the defensive end frustrating the Blue Streak’s attack all night never letting them settle into a rhythm. Sophomore goalie Chris Dymski came up big in goal making 12 saves (.750%) to hold John Carroll to their lowest goal total on the season. In his first full season as a starter, Dymski is yielding a paltry 5.909 goals against average and boasts a .677% save percentage on the year. Only one year removed from their disappointing 3-7 finish last season, the resilient team effort gives the Wolverines a chance to close out the season with a shot at the division title with a win over Dayton on Saturday.

For the first time all year the Grove City men’s lacrosse team went on a two game road trip and came away with two victories. The two victories marked a successful return to action for the Wolverines who were inactive since their 10-9 double overtime loss to Walsh three weeks ago.

Grove City vs. Lindenwood-Belleville

The additional time off gave the Wolverines an opportunity for to heal from the bumps and bruises that accumulate over a long season and re-focus themselves for the critical four game stretch they face to end the regular season. Their opening test came against nationally ranked #22 Washington University – St. Louis.

The game got off to a rough start for the Wolverines who immediately turned the ball over on their opening possession. The Bears then turned miscommunication on the Grove City defensive end into two quick goals. They would add another goal and within the first five minutes of the game the Wolverines were looking up at a 3-0 deficit. Freshman midfielder Will Stumpf finally got the Wolverines on the board with his 8th goal of the year to cut the lead to two, but the goal didn’t have a settling effect on the team. The Bears would respond with a goal of their own and extend the lead right back to three. After that the best thing that would happen to the Wolverines in the first quarter occurred, it ended.

The defense settled down in the second quarter turning the game into a defensive battle. The two teams would trade goals again with Grove City scoring in the second quarter to make the score 4-2 heading into halftime, and Washington converting a man up opportunity to take a three goal lead into the 4th quarter.

Something clicked for the visiting team in the 4th quarter, and after struggling all night the offense found new life. The Wolverines started slowly climbing back into the game and after three consecutive goals the Wolverines found themselves in a tie ballgame for the first time since the opening whistle. With a minute remaining in the game freshman standout Ryan Colby forced a key turnover and in the ensuing battle for the groundball the Bears were flagged for a penalty. Senior captain Tim Irwin connected with sophomore Ryan Althausen who buried a shot to give the Wolverines their first lead of the game with less than 40 seconds to play. The team held on through the Bears last-second offensive flurries to close out the victory.

Senior X-Attackman Kellen Quackenbush led all players with 4 pts (3 goals, 1 Assist) and Sophomore goalie Chris Dymski made 16 saves (.762%) on the defensive end to bail out the Wolverines numerous times. The victory was the first win over a ranked opponent on the year for the team and provided them with a little momentum heading into their game with Lindenwood-Belleville the next day.

The Wolverines jumped out to a 5-0 nothing lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Behind a strong offensive performance by Tim Irwin 6 pts ( 4 goals, 2 Assists) and Will Stumpf’s first career hat-trick the team rebounded from its struggles the night before. Chris Dymski made 13 saves (.867%) and the team concluded its road trip with two victories that doubled their win total from last year and pushed its overall record to 6-4. The team now heads home for two divisional home games against John Carroll and #6 Dayton.

By Gary Horvath
Collegian Sports Editor

The Grove City College Men’s lacrosse team added two impressive wins to their resume this past weekend. On Friday, March 9, they defeated Taylor University by a score of 12-2 and the next morning , shut out Calvin College while scoring 14 goals.

The wins helped the Wolverines maintain their perfect home record so far this year, improving to 3-0. Their first home win came in a 9-8 thriller against Carnegie Mellon University on Monday, February 27.

The Wolverines so thoroughly dominated their opponents that it’s hard to say exactly what the key to their success was. The offense possessed the ball with great consistency and the defense was as stingy as it’s ever been.

Sophomore goalie Chris Dymski earned his first career shutout against Calvin. With his performance this weekend, he and the rest of the defense now boast the fifth best goals against average (5.8) and the tenth best save percentage (.667) in the nation for MCLA Division II lacrosse.

On the offensive end, the team has been paced by sophomore attacker Ryan Cypher, who leads the team with 18 points (14 G, 4 A). 11 of those points came against Taylor and Calvin.
After the games, Cypher discussed what has made this year’s offensive squad successful.
“We are starting to communicate and execute as a team and not individually. We have found that when we each strive to complete our specific roles in every little aspect we are successful and will get the job done,” he said.

It’s no surprise that a little bit of hard work has contributed to the recent offensive onslaught. Cypher added, “The GCC offense has grown exponentially over the past year. Waking up at 5:45 in the mornings for practice in the off season was tough, but I will honestly say that it was one of the best experiences of my life. Working hard at times we don’t want to is what leads to success.”

Also adding to the recently potent offense are Senior Captains Tim Irwin and Kellen Quackenbush. Irwin has 17 points on the year and leads the team with 11 assists, many of them to Cypher. Quackenbush has thrived in the ‘X’ attack position this year, scoring 11 goals and adding five assists.

The Wolverines now sit at 3-2 on the year, suffering two losses on their spring break trip to Savannah, Georgia against southern rivals No. 12 Elon and No. 9 Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) (No. 9).

Although an opportunity to garner some national attention was missed, Grove City head coach Andrew Stimmel has focused on the benefits of the trip.
“Playing competitively against two top ten teams on the road really allowed the guys to see their potential and gain confidence for the future. As hard as those two [losses] were to swallow for the team, they realized how close they were to coming away with two victories.”

The team knows that consistency across the board is the key to continued success this season. Stimmel added,
“The guys have a great understanding of the constant refining, discipline and faith it takes to grow in their relationship with Christ and we apply that same concept to our team after every practice and game. In a lot of ways, you saw the carryover of that this weekend against Calvin and Taylor.”

Grove City will again hit the road this weekend with games against No. 2 Grand Valley State University on Friday night and Aquinas College on Saturday. A strong showing in Michigan could help the Wolverines regain a national ranking for the first time since last season.