The men’s lacrosse team started their challenging Patriot League schedule off on the right foot with an 11-4 victory over the Crusaders of Holy Cross. The team showed true resolve and focus as they bounced back from a hard fought loss against a talented Cornell University squad. The match, held on March 10th, improved the Raiders to a 1-0 record in league action, with a 4-1 overall mark. The Raiders erased the memory of their previous defeat by starting the game in their usual fashion, quickly asserting their unrelenting offensive against an unprepared squad. The Crusaders were strategically and athletically outclassed by the Colgate team, as the Raiders were never under any realistic pressure of conceding the game. The Raiders jumped out to a 7-0 lead by halftime, allowing them to cruise to an easy 11-4 result. Senior Brendan Hurley built on his fine reputation, turning in a dominant performance that included four goals. His game leading scores included a man-up, man-down, and two even-man goals through the course of the game. Junior Matt Lalli and Sophomore Kevin Colleluori also turned in fine performances. Lalli posted a game high five points, notching three goals and two assists, while Colleluori added two goals and an assist, including the first goal 3:48 into the opening quarter. In addition to the final score, the Raider’s dominance spread to almost every facet of the game. In the first quarter Colgate allowed Holy Cross to complete one out of six clear attempts, and 4-of-13 for the first half. From the face-off circle the Raider’s also won a staggering 17-of-18 throughout the match. The Raiders displayed their supremacy in the shot and groundball categories, winning each 46-12 and 45-25, respectively. Sophomore Mark Florian had an especially effective performance on the day, setting career highs by winning 12-of-13 face-offs, and collecting seven groundballs. The first line defense was rarely tested in the game, as goaltender Tim Harrington was only called upon to make one save.

Colgate hoped to continue their early season success into a spring break victory on March 13th over non-conference foe Penn State, but they were thwarted in a hard-fought battle. The game took place at Georgetown Prep, and it turned out to be a defensive war, with Penn State bunkering down to hand the ‘Gate a 7-4 defeat. Colgate started the game slowly and fell to an early 4-0 deficit. However, the team rallied before halftime and drew the score to 4-3 going into intermission. Penn State responded with another goal in the third, but Brandon Corp kept the game within one, answering with a clutch goal. At this point however, Penn State buckled down defensively and held the Raiders scoreless through the rest of the match, while recording 2 more scores. The game drops Colgate to a 4-2 overall record, though they still remain undefeated in Patriot League play. Penn State controlled the face-offs by a margin of 5, tied Colgate for the groundballs, and held a slight 8 shot advantage for the game. Corp had a stellar performance, turning in 3 quality goals in the tight match, but his effort was not enough to overcome the stingy Nittany Lion defense. Colgate hopes to continue their success in Patriot League play when they take on the Midshipmen of Navy, on March 21st at 4p.m. Navy is currently ranked between 4 and 5 in the national polls and is undefeated in the league, providing Colgate an opportunity to secure their place as one of the early league frontrunners with a victory, as well as a chance to beat Navy in successive seasons.