(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia men's lacrosse returned home on Monday afternoon to host Saint Ambrose in non-conference play. The Cardinals came in 2-2 overall while the Fighting Bees, receiving votes in the national poll, entered 3-1. While CUAA overcame an early deficit to take the lead in the 3rd quarter, Saint Ambrose pulled away in the 4th to lead 21-14.
Oliver Niedzwiecki led the Cardinals with 5 goals in the match. Blake Blaisdell and Devin Wolever had 3 goals apiece. Collin Webb led the team with 7 ground balls. Joseph Loria made 14 saves in net.
Oliver Niedzwiecki opened scoring with a powerplay goal to give Concordia an early lead. Saint Ambrose answered with 3 straight goals until Devin Wolever ended the run with a rip from the side of the net. The Fighting Bees scored again but Anthony Tucker had a quick answer with a marker just 6 seconds later. However, Saint Ambrose tacked on 4 more goals to lead 8-3 after the 1st.
The Fighting Bees struck first in the 2nd but Miles Riddell ripped a shot from the left side to begin a 4-0 Concordia run. Blake Blaisdell tacked on a pair of goals and Oliver Niedzwiecki scored off a feed from Noah Sorenson, cutting the team's deficit to 9-7. The Cardinals trailed 10-7 at halftime.
Devin Wolever scored off a feed from Oliver Niedzwiecki to start another 4-0 CUAA run. Niedziwecki finished his hat trick off a feed from Wolever, and Wolever tied the game by completing his hat trick at the 9:59 mark. After over 7 minutes of scoreless play, Oliver Niedzwiecki scored the go-ahead goal while falling down to put Concordia up 11-10. The Fighting Bees tied the game less than a minute later, but a key save from Joseph Loria with 2 seconds left kept the match tied 11-11 after the 3rd.
Saint Ambrose began to reclaim momentum in the final frame, scoring 5 unanswered goals in what would be a 10-goal 4th quarter. Blake Blaisdell ended the run with a powerplay goal to finish his hat trick, but the Fighting Bees continued to maintain their lead. Oliver Niedzwiecki added a powerplay marker and Anthony Tucker notched his second goal of the game, but Saint Ambrose claimed the 21-14 win.
The Cardinals will remain at home this Saturday, March 14 when they host Mount Vernon Nazarene. Game time is set for 12pm.
