Men’s lacrosse: Olivet defeats Concordia, 9-6, in season-opener

MEQUON, Wis. – The Olivet College men's lacrosse team defeated Concordia (Wis.) University, 9-6, in its season-opener today at Fitting Field in Mequon, Wisconsin.

After the Falcons took a 1-0 lead, the Comets scored the next two goals – the first by sophomore Nino Minaudo off a pass from junior James Collins and the second by Collins off a feed from junior Dakota Badder. Concordia regained a 3-2 lead with a pair of goals in a 65-second span.

Badder tied the game on an unassisted tally with a little less than three minutes left in the first quarter. The Falcons responded right before the end of the stanza with a goal to take 4-3 lead.

The Comets knotted the score at 4-4 one minute and 16 seconds into the second quarter when junior Jack Ranson found the back of the net off a pass from sophomore Logan Krieger. The Falcons scored in the 10th minute of the quarter and that goal held up for a 5-4 halftime lead.

Olivet scored two unassisted goals – one each for Badder and sophomore Tyler Polendo – in the first five minutes of the third quarter to take a 6-5 lead. Minaudo netted a goal off an assist by Badder with 2:08 left in the quarter to give the Comets a 7-5 lead and first two-goal cushion for either team in the game.

Olivet scored only 44 seconds into the final quarter when Badder scored after getting a pass from Collins to make the score 8-5. Concordia made the score 8-6 with a man-up goal at the midway point of the fourth quarter. Collins got that goal back with an unassisted tally.

For the game, the Comets out-shot the Falcons, 37-28, with a 21-14 edge on shots-on-goal. Badder led the way with five points (three goals and two assists) and nine shots. Collins finished with two goals and two assists for four points. Minaudo also scored two goals. In the cage, junior Ryan McGee earned the victory. He played all 60 minutes and made eight saves. 

Olivet is back in action next Saturday, Feb. 28, when it travels to play Oberlin (Ohio) College at 3 p.m.