After three close losses during spring break, the men’s lacrosse team travelled to Baltimore, the lacrosse capital of the United States, for a Patriot League showdown against thr No. 15 nationally ranked Loyola Greyhounds. The game was played at the Ridley Athletic Complex while being televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.

Colgate came out hot in this game right from the get-go. Three minutes into the first quarter of action, first-year attacker Chase Wittich netted a goal off an assist from senior attackman and captain Ryan Walsh. Just four minutes later, Walsh added a goal of his own by means of a pass from junior midfielder Cameron Williams. Senior midfielder Matt Clarkson converted a shot off a pass from sophomore midfielder Peter Donato, while Williams scored an extraman goal to cap off four unanswered goals for the Colgate offense. 

Leading 4-1 going into the second quarter, the offensive unit didn’t look back as the momentum continued to favor Colgate. Williams and Donato each added a goal midway through the quarter, resulting in a 6-2 for the Raiders at halftime. Each of the six goals in the first half by the Colgate offense was assisted. 

The Raiders offense was firing on all cylinders at the start of the third quarter. Williams added two more goals for the Raiders in addition to a tally from junior attacker Tyler Rigo on a pass from sophomore midfielder Jack Stebbins. With a 9-2 lead halfway through the third quarter, first year attackman Anthony Abbadessa recorded his 14th goal of the season while Wittich added his second goal of the contest. Colgate held on to the lead for the remainder of the game, ending with a final score of 11-4 and a win against a quality opponent to add to their resume.

The team undoubtedly played its best game of the season. Colgate converted on 20 of 23 clears while recording a significantly higher shooting percentage than the Greyhounds. 

Sophomore goal-tender Brandon Burke registered 12 saves, the second best total of his career, and allowed a season-low four goals. Williams scored career high five points on the day including a assist along with four goals. Williams currently leads the team in goals for the 2015 campaign. 

“My job’s easy. The five other guys on offense do most of the heavy lifting. I just want to put myself in the right spot and bury them when I get my opportunities,” Williams said on his efficient performance. 

Colgate head coach Mike Murphy was very pleased with his teams effort, as he mentioned after the game. 

“I’m really proud of my team. I’ve been a part of some teams as a player that had some serious losing streaks, and it just seems to snowball. To see the mental toughness of our team and how they come to work every day, I couldn’t be prouder of these guys. The way we scrapped and clawed for four quarters, pride is the biggest thing I can say for this group,” Murphy said in his post -game interview. 

Murphy went on to praise his athletes, “I’ve got to credit our student-athletes. They come to work every single day. Understanding the scouting report, I’ve got a lot of smart academic kids and they proved it today,” he said.  

With the win against Loyola, the Raiders currently hold an overall record of 5-4 including a 3-2 record in Patriot League play and fourth place in conference standings. Colgate is back home this Saturday in another Patriot League matchup versus Lehigh University. Each game for the rest of the season has crucial implications for the Patriot League tournament and the NCAA tournament in late May.