Men’s lacrosse team loses to Albion, 15-11

ALBION, Mich. – The Olivet College men's lacrosse team lost 15-11 to Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) rival Albion College this evening at Sprankle-Sprandel Stadium in Albion.

Senior Dakota Badder put the Comets up 1-0 early in the game on an unassisted goal. The Britons answered 65 seconds later to tie the game at 1-1. Junior Nino Minaudo scored off a pass from Badder for a 2-1 Olivet lead at the 6:11 mark of the first quarter. Albion scored seven straight goals – three to end the opening quarter and four to start the second quarter – to go up 8-2.

Badder netted a man-up goal off a feed from junior Logan Krieger to make the score 8-3. After the Britons responded with a goal, senior Jack Ranson scored an unassisted goal to maintain the Comets' five-goal deficit, 9-4, at halftime.

To start the third quarter, junior Tyler Polendo scored a man-up goal. Albion had two straight goals for an 11-5 lead. Badder and Ranson then both scored in a 38-second span to help Olivet trail by four, 11-7, with 8:20 remaining in the third stanza.

The Britons answered with two goals to regain their six-goal cushion, 13-7. Krieger scored with just under a minute left in the third period to make the score 13-8. The Comets out-scored the Britons, 3-2, in the fourth quarter for the final margin. In the quarter, Polendo, senior Curtis French and Krieger each scored once.

For the game, Badder had three goals and two assists for five points. Krieger was next with three points (two goals and one assist). Polendo and Ranson each netted two goals. Minaudo recorded a goal and an assist to go along with a team-best eight shots. Senior Ryan McGee made 19 saves in goal.

Olivet will now have to wait for the other MIAA teams to play their games tomorrow to determine the seeds for the 2016 MIAA Tournament. The important game in the scenarios is Hope hosting Trine. A Trine win would give the Thunder a 5-2 MIAA record and the No. 3 seed, and Olivet the No. 4 seed. A Hope win would likely give Olivet the No. 3 seed based on tiebreakers, and Hope the No. 4 seed.

NOTES: With his three goals, Badder moved into a tie for first-place all-time at Olivet in goals scored with 134. His 10 man-up goals this season are tied for first in the single-season rankings. Minaudo's two points gives him 74 this season, which is the second-most in a single-season in school history.