The Men's Lacrosse team traveled north this weekend to compete against The University of Toledo for a classic battle of I-75 matchup. Sitting at 0-2 on the season, this Falcons squad was set on flipping the script against a division rival. Firing on all cylinders on both ends of the field, they quickly found themselves leading the Rockets 5-4 at the half. The Falcon's bench was short, and became even shorter after key defenseman Joey Johnson sustained a non-contact injury in the second quarter, forcing him to sit out the rest of this contest. With only three of the four necessary defensemen left to play, somebody was going to need to play a little outside their comfort zone. Freshman midfielder Gavin Sudlow from Bowling Green, Ohio stepped up to fill Johnson's role, now looking to prevent goals instead of scoring them, all while using a stick three feet longer than what he practices with every day. Out of position and with no preparation, Sudlow ran out the box as an emergency pole the entire second half while the Rockets desperately tried to spark a comeback.Â
Unfortunately for Toledo, the close-defense line of Kyle Hehmyer, Ethan Damico, and Braeden Coleman had other plans, paving a path for victory as junior Will Yuhas stood tall in goal, only allowing 2 shots to hit his net in the final 30 minutes of play. This disciplined Falcons defense may have shut down the Rocket's scoring, but the men in orange could not stop putting points on the board as they net 3 more goals before the game clock ran out. BGSU returned home with the 8-6 win in an NCLL showdown, scoring contributions from Ryan Gill (4 Goals 2 Assists), Jake Gill (Goal, 4 Assists), Konor Crandell (Goal), Jake O'Rourke (Goal), and Miles Jope (Goal).Â
Following the game, freshman midfielder Matt Jones from Gahanna, Ohio touched on what he took away from their first win of the season, "This team has extreme highs and lows, so it was reassuring to see just how dominant we are on both ends of the field when we are at our best. Bringing this energy and discipline into every game we have left is only going to produce positive results, we are extremely difficult to beat when when we play efficient, clean lacrosse".Â
Next Up:Â
Bowling Green Men's Lacrosse looks to capitalize on their momentum with a doubleheader against Butler University and the #4 ranked  University of Louisville next weekend, April 1st, home at Bowling Green High School.Â
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Gallery: (3-25-2023) Men's Lacrosse vs Toledo 3/25
