Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Abrielle Tutino
The Susquehanna University men’s lacrosse team opened Landmark Conference play on Saturday, falling to Elizabethtown 11–4 after a tough battle on the road.
Elizabethtown set the tone early, not allowing Susquehanna to settle in and get comfortable.
The Blue Jays jumped out to a 3–0 lead in the first quarter, with junior Tristan Coleman, junior Reese Levinson and senior Jay Rodriguez all finding the back of the net.
The Blue Jays controlled possession and limited the River Hawks’ offensive opportunities, as Susquehanna struggled to find rhythm early.
The River Hawks showed some life in the second quarter after senior Nick Remund scored off of junior Pat McDermott’s assist, getting on the board after starting to generate more looks offensively.
Elizabethtown then answered back after the first goal by SU, scoring another three goals in a row to stretch their lead 6-1.
First-year Matthew Chubenko scored his 16th goal of the season later in the second quarter, but the Blue Jays answered right back with a goal of their own before the end of the second half.
Coming out of halftime, Susquehanna looked to shift momentum.
Down 7-2, The River Hawks scored the first goal of the third quarter after junior Drew Filipovits found the back of the net on an unassisted goal.
The Blue Jays didn’t let the River Hawks get too close however, as Levinson scored his second goal of the game in the middle of the third.
However, Susquehanna continued to find opportunities at the net, as senior Jimmy Maro scored his first goal of the contest with under two minutes left in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Susquehanna continued to battle, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome. Elizabethtown added three more goals to its total while the River Hawks only attempted three shots in the fourth, bringing the final score to 11–4.
Chubenko was one of the offensive contributors for Susquehanna and emphasized the team’s mindset moving forward.
“I feel like we truly showed lots of improvement,” Chubenko said. “I am very confident in our team as I know that everyone is willing to put in the work for us to be better.”
The River Hawks will be back in action on Wednesday, March 25 at 4 p.m. when they travel to Wilkes-Barre, PA to take on Wilkes University.