Mercer Falls 14-13 to Bellarmine in ASUN Conference Tournament

Tuesday, May 2

Moon Township, PA.

1 p.m.

Mercer University

(6-10, 5-4)

Bellarmine University

(11-5, 5-4)

Bellarmine

Mercer

Photo by: Justin Berl/For the ASUN

Mercer Falls 14-13 to Bellarmine in ASUN Conference Tournament

5/2/2023 10:36:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa.– The Mercer Men's Lacrosse team dropped their final game 14-13 to Bellarmine in Moon Township, Pennsylvania on May 2. The Bears finished their season 6-10 and 5-4 in ASUN play. Bellarmine

Seven Bears contributed to the scoring on the afternoon. Senior Carl Klepper led the way for the Bears with six points (3 goals and 3 assists). Matt O'Connor led the way with goals for the bears with four. Christian Laureano finished the game with two goals. Michael Frederick, Kyle Cox, Taylor Dooley, and Parker Junod each added a goal for the Bears.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Matt O'Connor would start the scoring off for the bears, scoring within the first minute. Kyle Cox would begin his dodge and find an open O'Connor for an easy 10-yard step-down shot which found the back of the net. The Knights would answer three minutes later. Carl Klepper would find the back of the net for the first time on the afternoon to put the Bears up one. Klepper would find an open O'Connor who increased the bears lead to two. The Knights would not go away and would answer with two goals to bring the game level. Taylor Dooley would find an open Parker Junod with two minutes remaining in the quarter to bring the Bear led to one. However, the Knights would find the back of the net twice. The score heading into the second quarter was 5-4, in favor of the Knights.

Mercer's Christian Laureano would score an unassisted goal to tie the game at five a piece. Taylor Dooley would score his first goal of the afternoon off the dish from Klepper. The scoring for the Bears would not stop here, Michael Frederick would add another for the bears off the assist from Klepper. This would be Klepper's final assist of the day. The Knights would end the scoring run for the bears scoring 30 seconds after Frederick's goal. Klepper would add another for the bears pushing the bears lead to three again. O'Connor would add another goal for the Bear pushing the bears lead to four. The Knights would score three to end the quarter, tying the game 9-9 heading into halftime.

Bellarmine would open scoring up in the second half, but Laureano would answer with an unassisted goal of his own. Three minutes later the Knights would score a goal to bring their lead to one. Klepper would complete his hattrick with 41 second left in the third period on a man-up goal off the assist from Zach Basisty. Ashton Wood would win a face-off off a violation from Bellarmine, this would allow O'Connor to dodge his defender and find the back of the net, pushing the Bears lead to one. The score heading into the final quarter was 12-11.

The Knights would tie the game one minute into the fourth. The Knights would score two more to push their lead to two. Kyle Cox would score with four minutes remaining off a dodge from behind the goal. The Bears, however, could not score on the final possession of the game. The final score of the game was 14-13.

FOLLOW THE BEARS:
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter) and @MercerMensLacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com