No. 19 University of Delaware Men’s Lacrosse Suffers First Loss of Season with 13-8 Setback to Loyola
February 18, 2012
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Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell
BALTIMORE, Md. -- The University of Delaware men’s lacrosse squad suffered its first setback of the season Saturday afternoon as host Loyola used a 9-1 run over the second and third periods to post a 13-8 non-league win over the Blue Hens at the Ridley Sports Complex.
No. 19 ranked Delaware, which had opened the season with wins of 19-6 over Detroit and 11-10 in overtime over No. 12 Bucknell, jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but could not overcome the pivotal run by Loyola (1-0), which was playing its season opener.
Loyola scored the first five goals of the second half and the first four of the third quarter to take control at 9-4 late in the third stanza. Delaware could never get closer than three goals the rest of the way. The Greyhounds continued to have the Hens’ number as they downed Delaware for the 19th straight time since the last UD win in 1972.
Delaware, which got two goals and an assist from All-American candidate Grant Kaleikau (at right) and goal support from six other players, was looking to start the season 3-0 for the second straight year and for the fifth time in the last seven campaigns but were stopped short.
Danny Keane added a goal and two assists for Delaware while Nick Diachenko and Andrew Tanneberger each had a goal and an assist and Brenden Gilson, Connor McRoy, and Tom Holland scored the other Blue Hen goals. Chris Herbert, the reigning Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week, posted nine saves.
Eric Lusby led Loyola with four goals while Mike Sawyer added three goals and an assist, Patrick Fanshaw scored twice, and Nikko Pontrello contributed a goal and an assist. Goalkeeper Michael Bonitatibus turned back seven Blue Hen shots.
Loyola outshot the Hens 44-23, held a 34-28 advantage on groundballs, and won 14 of 25 faceoffs. The Greyhounds were also perfect on all 16 clear attempts and converted all three extra man opportunities.
Delaware jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first quarter as Tanneberger, McRoy, and Diachenko each scored a goal. Tanneberger’s goal was the first of his career. Loyola then scored the first five goals of the second quarter, including two by Fanshaw, to take a 5-3 lead. The Hens snapped the scoring streak as Kaleikau scored with just 1:22 left in the first half to cut the deficit to 5-4 at the break.
But the Greyhounds stopped any momentum the Hens were about to build as they scored the first four goals of the second half, including two by Lusby, to up the lead to 9-4 with 3:58 left.
Gilson scored a man-up goal for Delaware to cut the lead to 9-5 just 40 seconds later the Hens narrowed the gap to three at 10-7 with 10:39 left in the game on goals by Kaleikau and Keane.
Loyola answered the UD charge thanks to goals by Dobson and Pontrello to push the lead back to 12-7. A man-up goal by Holland with 1:19 left to play was all the Hens could muster the rest of the way.
Delaware, the two-time defending Colonial Athletic Association champions, will face another tough test in Baltimore on Tuesday when the Hens travel to No. 2 ranked Johns Hopkins for a 5 p.m. matchup at Homewood Field. The game will be televised live on ESPNU TV.