Close battles not enough for men’s lacrosse

By Ryan Patota, Sports Reporter

Non-conference play for the men’s lacrosse team has been filled with chaos, both on the field and on the schedule. 

A matchup against Le Moyne was supposed to be played in Syracuse, but had to be moved indoors to Victor, N.Y. due to inclement weather. The Griffs fell 11–10 to the Dolphins in a close battle that saw the Griffs go on a 5–1 run to tie the game at 10, before Le Moyne’s goal with 1:16 remaining proved to be the game winner. 

The Griffs were supposed to return to the Demske Sports Complex for a matchup against Robert Morris, but the game was moved to Moon Township, PA. This turned a game that was supposed to be played at home into an away game for the Griffs. Canisius fell 9–7, thanks to two goals in the final seven minutes from the Colonials that the Griffs weren’t able to respond to. 

The road did not get easier for Canisius, as they took on the toughest opponent they would face this season, the No. 14 ranked Michigan Wolverines. Despite the 16–2 loss, the Griffs had positives to pull from their performance. Coach Miyashita called it the “most intensity for 60 minutes that we've had in any of our games this year.” 

Sophomore midfielder Mason Wolford has served as the focal point of the Griffs offense early on in the season, as he leads the team with nine goals and 12 points. Freshman midfielder Carson Christy enjoyed a breakout game against Le Moyne, scoring four of his six goals of the season against the Dolphins. 

The turnovers have been a problem for the team so far, as they average 21.4 turnovers through five games. “We must limit our turnovers. It is the difference in games where the margin of the score is one or two goals,” explained Head Coach Mark Miyashita. 

The Canisius men’s lacrosse team will continue their extended road trip as they travel to Cleveland, Ohio for a game on Saturday afternoon against Cleveland State at 1 p.m. 

Photo courtesy of Tom Wolf