Mercer University
Air Force
Lacrosse Outmatched in 20-4 Loss at Air Force
3/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Mercer men's lacrosse team mustered just four goals off 23 total shots in a lopsided 20-4 loss at the hands of the Air Force Academy on Saturday afternoon.
In the program's first game west of the Mississippi, the Bears (1-10) seemed outmatched and outmanned from the start. Air Force (4-4) dominated from the opening faceoff in scoring the game's first four goals. It wasn't until less than six minutes to play in the first quarter that Mercer buried its first score.
Sophomore Cole Branch scored an unassisted goal when he made a nice individual run to shake two Air Force defenders. Branch's first goal was his ninth of the season, which is second best on the squad.
The Falcons sandwhiched Branch's goal by scoring four more unanswered to take a 8-1 lead with just over a minute to play in quarter number one. However, another great individual effort by Branch saw the Marietta native tally his second of the quarter just before the horn sounded in the first.
After Branch scored his second of the day and 10th of the season, Mercer would go nearly two whole quarters before scoring again. The Falcons dictated play and rattled off 10 straight goals, including seven unanswered in the second quarter alone.
Air Force scored three more times to open the second half before sophomore Zack Ward finally ended the Bears scoring drought. Ward scored an unassisted goal at the 2:17 mark of the third quarter to snap an almost 28 minute scoreless stretch for the Bears.
By the time the fourth quarter began the Bears trailed 19-3 as Air Force had four players with multiple goals including three with at least a hat trick in the game. Air Force's Mike Crampton led all goal scorers with four on the day while Keith Dreyer led all scorers with six points off three goals and three assists.
Sophomore goaltender Justin Bateman made just six saves off 41 Air Force shots. The Bears made 23 turnovers in the game and the 23 shots were the second fewest of the season.
The Bears will have more than a week to try and figure out the kinks as the team continues its lengthy four-game road trip next Monday, April 9 at Delaware.
