Mercer University
Towson
Bears Can't Notch Back-to-Back Wins, Fall 17-8 to Towson
3/21/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
MACON, Ga. – Coming off the program's first Division I victory last Friday, the Mercer men's lacrosse team faced a unique challenge on Wednesday night playing a team that with a win would record its 400th in program history.
Wednesday's game featured a Bears program (1-9) in just its second year against a Towson team that entered its 54th season this year. Towson's experience and pedigree proved to be too much for the Bears as Mercer fell 17-8 on what turned out to be a historic evening at Johnny Unitas Stadium.
For the seventh consecutive game, the Bears fell behind first as Towson recorded the games first three goals. Mercer was held scoreless for nearly the first ten minutes of the game before Zack Ward took an Emery Hanback feed and buried his team-leading 15th goal of the season.
Ward's goal cut the Towson lead to 3-1 with over five minute to play in the first quarter, but before the first horn would sound Towson scored three more times to take a five-goal lead. The Tigers tallied the three goals over a minute and eight second span.
After an early second quarter Towson goal, Mercer trailed 7-1 when sophomore John Avent scored a man-up goal – his second of the season off a Brett Eisenmann assist. Eisenmann has now recorded a point in the last four games.
The Orange and Black scored its second of the quarter with just 47 seconds remaining before heading into the locker room. Harry Baker corralled one of his two groundballs and was able to find a seam to score an unassisted goal to cut the Towson lead to 9-3 at the half.
Over the first ten minutes of the second half the Bears allowed six-straight Towson goal which put the game quickly out of reach for the Bears. With under four to play in the third, sophomore Eoin Collins became the fourth Bears to score on the day. Collins brought the score to 15-4 and started somewhat of a Bears' comeback to end the third and begin the fourth.
Mercer added two even-strength scores and one man-up goal to start the fourth quarter with Ian Gelhbach, Keoni Rausch and Cole Branch cutting the deficit to 15-7 with just over nine minutes to play. Towson responded by scoring the next two goal to extinguish Mercer's run and hopes of the comeback.
Harry Baker added his second of the day with 5:13 left to play, but it was too little too late for the Bears as the Tigers walked away with the historic win.
Mercer has ten days to prep for its next road trip at Air Force on March 31st. The Bears travel to Colorado Springs for a rematch of last season's game played in Macon.
