The Fighting Scots men’s Lacrosse team lost their home opener last weekend against the Falcons of Concordia University-Wisconsin 24-5. Senior returner Gordon Kiesgen (Spring Grove, IL) faced off for Monmouth College all game, winning 63% of faceoffs, including the first, allowing the Scots to organize an early offense.
The Falcons scored first with a goal just three minutes into play. The next four went to Concordia in the span of the first 10 minutes of the first quarter to make it 5-0 Falcons despite Monmouth’s keeper Nehemiah Declaw’s (Aurora, CO) 3 saves. Kiesgen won the next faceoff for the Scots and forced a Concordia pushing penalty, giving Monmouth a man-up opportunity. After missing the following shot, Carlos Hernandez III (Billings, MT) passed to Michael Casey (Chicago, IL) for a Fighting Scots goal to bring the Falcons lead to 5-1 with four minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Two minutes into the second period, a Scots turnover turned into a Concordia goal. The Falcons would tag on another, pushing the score to 7-1. The Fighting Scots would respond with a completed clear off the faceoff into a Hernandez man-up goal assisted by Kain Donohoo (St. Charles, IL). Monmouth’s very next possession consisted of a ground ball pickup and pass by Ben Lafrenere (Schaumburg, IL) for a Casey goal once again to put the Scots back in the game, 7-3. Hernandez would answer another goal from the Falcons with a Kiesgen assist before Concordia got up to an 11-4 halftime lead.
The Falcons started off the second half hot, scoring three goals in just under two and a half minutes, and eight before Donohoo would make a move to get inside and score with just 39 seconds left in the third quarter to make the score 19-5. The Scots would not score for the rest of the game. Donohoo finished the game with 10 shots, and Declaw with 15 saves throughout the game.
Jake Rathgeb - Contributing Writer