SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Wittenberg delivered a 22-4 defeat to first-year program Hiram in a North Coast Athletic Conference men's lacrosse match today, moving to 6-3 overall and 1-2 in league player in the process.
Hiram, in its first year of varsity competition and now with a 1-7 overall record, had a tough time handling the Tigers, who outshot the visitors 47-17 and won 23-of-30 faceoffs. The Tigers' controlled the ball by forcing Hiram into 21 turnovers, holding them to 4-of-14 in clear attempts.
Sophomore faceoff man Riley Boehm (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) used the opportunity to break a school record barely a year old. He posted 20 ground balls in the game to set a new mark, topping Elliot Avis' 15 recorded on March 3, 2012, at Concordia (Wis.).
Boehm also had an excellent day in the faceoff circle, winning 22-of-29. His consistent work led to the Tigers scoring seven straight goals to open the game. After Hiram broke through for a goal on a man-up opportunity late in the first quarter, the Tigers went right back on the offensive for another 10 straight goals.
Hiram again rallied for a late extra-man goal to close the second quarter, but the Tigers owned a 17-2 lead at halftime. Wittenberg kept the pressure on with five straight goals, a stretch that lasted into the fourth quarter. Hiram's last two goals came with under three minutes to play.
Every able-bodied man on the Tigers' roster saw time in the game. Senior Tyler Hall (Evanston, Ill./Evanston Twp.) paced the lineup offensively with three goals and five assists on five shots, followed by junior Jordan Shoger (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights), who posted four goals and one assist.
Freshman brothers Andrew Fuss (New Albany, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) and Thomas Fuss (New Albany, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) finished the game with matching totals of three goals and one assist, while senior Alex Previte (Dublin, Ohio/Coffman) and sophomore Lewis Thompson (Sandy Hook, Conn./Newtown) each scored three goals.
Rounding out the scoring, sophomore Will Stocker (Cincinnati, Ohio/Turpin) registered his first collegiate points with two goals and two assists, and freshman TJ Smith (Atlanta, Ga./The Marist School) scored one goal.
Junior Hunter Bastian (Knoxville, Tenn./Horace Greeley) caused enough trouble to collect three caused turnovers, followed by two by freshman Conor O'Brien (York, Maine/York) and sophomore Nick Bergenty (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan).
Sophomore goalkeeper Jesse Langer (New York, N.Y./Salisbury School) was forced into just six saves in the game.
The Tigers take their show on the road for a 4:30 p.m. NCAC game at Oberlin College on Tuesday, April 9.
John Strawn '07