Men's Lacrosse Slips Past Medaille, 13-6

AURORA, N.Y. – Senior Connor Jansen (Horseheads, N.Y.) scored four goals to lead the Wells College men's lacrosse team to a 13-6 victory over Medaille College on Saturday. With the victory, Wells improves to 2-10 overall and to 1-5 within the North Eastern Athletic Conference. Medaille remains winless in 10 overall contests and seven conference tilts. 

Wells joined Medaille by pledging Saturday's game to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/HEADstrong Cancer Awareness Week, taking place from Apr. 15 to Apr. 23. Collegiate men's lacrosse teams nationwide were asked to make a statement on the playing field by pledging a game, raising funds and wearing HEADstrong awareness accessories in support of the cause. 

The Express joined the Mavericks by wearing special blue and lime green socks for the game – the monies paid for the socks will directly benefit the foundation. 

Jansen's four-goal effort gives him 150 career points as he has racked up 98 goals and 52 assists (98-52=150) in only 46 career games. Jansen needs only eight more goals to tie Daniel Munsell '13 for the most career goals scored in program history. Junior Alex Milliken (Hilton, N.Y.) set up two of Jansen's goals, totaling three assists on the afternoon – he also picked up a career-high eight ground balls. 

Sophomore Tanner Mingen (Houston, Texas) potted three goals and two assists for a team-best five points (3-2=5) while reeling in three ground balls. Sophomore Aaron Heisey (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) scored twice while winning 12 face-offs and hauling in seven ground balls. 

Sophomore Hayden Haas (Syracuse, N.Y.) also scored twice while classmate Brian Buttner (Highland Mills, N.Y.) registered a goal and an assist. Junior Nicholas Lewis-Antwi (Bronx, N.Y.) rounded out the goal scoring for Wells with his fifth strike of the season. 

Wells opened up a 3-0 lead through the game's first 10:40 as three different goal scorers found the back of the net – Lewis-Antwi notched his team's first goal before Heisey and Jansen added unassisted markers to propel the Express to the three-goal lead. Wells added four of the game's next six goals, building a 7-3 halftime lead. 

With only one goal scored in the third quarter, the Wells offense came alive in the fourth quarter. Ahead by a slim 7-5 margin with only 26 seconds expired in the stanza, Wells rattled off two-straight goals before Medaille stopped the Express run with a goal at 9:41. A Buttner unassisted goal sparked a 4-0 run, building up to a 13-6 victory for the home team. 

Wells held statistical advantages in shots taken (43-to-37), ground balls (37-to-33), face-off victories (12-to-11), successful clearances (26-to-21) and saves made (11-to-7). The Express also committed fewer turnovers (26-to-22) than the Mavericks, who made at least four miscues in each quarter. 

David Groves led Medaille with two goals and three assists for five points (2-3=5). 

Goalkeeper Elijah Tracey (Utica, N.Y.) made 11 saves for Wells, earning his first victory of the year. With 168 career saves, he has passed Thomas Costigan for third place all-time on the career saves list for the Express. Medaille's Seth Gregg yielded 13 goals on 20 shots faced, drawing the loss. 

Wells will travel to Morrisville State College for a 4 p.m. tilt with the Mustangs.