via press release/website, by Ryan Mosher

BOX SCORE

SAVANNAH, Georgia – Coleman Jacobs matched a career-high with six goals, while Pete Abbes set a career-high with five of his own as the Embry-Riddle men’s lacrosse team claimed its third straight win away from home, beating Lander in a neutral site contest on Friday, 16-14. The Eagles (4-2) broke the program record with 54 ground balls at Memorial Stadium, leading for the vast majority of the night against a Bearcats (4-2) team that had won three straight before tangling with the Blue and Gold.

ERAU was very consistent, scoring four goals in each quarter while out-shooting Lander 50-40.

Jacobs put the Eagles on the board first, but it took awhile as neither team was able to dent the scoreboard until the 10:48 mark. Jacobs’ goal wasn’t answered by Lander until three-plus minutes later, but the tie didn’t last long as Abbes regained the lead for the Eagles at the 6:36 mark.

Abbes made it two in-a-row when he netted his second score less than a minute later, giving the Blue and Gold a 3-1 lead before the Bearcats responded with two of their own, knotting the score with two minutes left in the first period.

After both teams turned the ball over, following the ensuing face-off, Jacobs put the Eagles back in front with just 44 seconds remaining, and they would take that lead into the quarter break.

It was not a long wait to see a score in the second period, Lander scored just 32 seconds into the quarter. Abbes registered his third goal of the first half four minutes later, getting a pass from Marcus Needham and beating Lander’s goalie for a 5-4 ERAU advantage. 

That was the last goal the Eagles would score for awhile as the Bearcats went on a 3-0 run, going up 7-5 with five minutes on the clock. After Andrew Ewalt won the next face-off, Jacobs collected his third goal of the half, and not even 50 seconds later Christian Hofer found Abbes for the sophomore’s fourth score, tying the game at 7-7.

Isaiah Hines’ shot at the 2:08 mark was saved, but Jacobs was there to pick up the ground ball and fire it in goal as Embry-Riddle took an 8-7 lead, one they would take into halftime.

ERAU was slightly hampered by 10 turnovers in the first 30 minutes, but thanks to Jacobs’ and Abbes’ four goals apiece and Jacob Lotz making seven saves in net, they enjoyed the one-goal cushion.

In the third, Hines scored twice to open the scoring for the Eagles, pushing ERAU’s lead to 10-7. His first score came off a feed from Jacob Schripsema, and his second came at the 11:14 mark.

The Bearcats were able to tie the game with their second 3-0 run of the night, but Abbes and Jacobs hooked up for the 11th tally of the night with just under five minutes remaining to once again put the Eagles in front, 11-10.

Matt Ryan found the back of the net for the second time in 2023 with two minutes left, extending ERAU’s cushion to two goals.

The Blue and Gold dominated the start of the last quarter, and it began with a goal from Jacobs a few moments into the period. Lars Hoeg got his first score of the game at the 11:35 mark before Hofer found Abbes for the second time in the contest, resulting in a 15-10 lead, the largest of the night.

Following a Lander goal, Hines scored his second, but the Bearcats came back with two quick scores to trim ERAU’s lead to 16-13 with four minutes to go.

Schripsema was whistled for a penalty and Lander got even closer with a man-up goal, but the Eagles withstood a flurry of action in the final two minutes, coming away with the 16-14 victory.

Ewalt went 21-for-33 at the face-off, including a 7-for-9 mark in the fourth quarter. Ewalt’s 16 ground balls were the fifth-most in program history in a single game. Both Lotz and Carter Groezinger, who played the second half, finished with seven saves and seven goals against.

The Eagles will take their three-game winning streak over to Tampa to take on the No. 1 and defending NCAA II national champion Spartans on Wednesday, March 8. Game time is set for 4 p.m.