Lycoming News

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Devin Page spearheaded the Penn College men's lacrosse team with a hat-trick, scoring four goals, yet the Wildcats fell short in a 10-9 defeat to Westminster during their home opener on Wednesday. This loss puts Penn College at 0-2 while Westminster begins their season with a 1-0 record.

The game commenced with Westminster taking an early lead through two goals at the 12:33 and 8:30 marks. Will Ehret managed to put Penn College on the scoreboard at the 5:04 mark. However, Westminster extended their advantage by scoring twice more across the first and second quarters, establishing a 6-1 lead.

Penn College responded with a four-goal streak initiated by three goals from Page. His first goal came just seven seconds before halftime, followed by Ian Stambaugh's goal 30 seconds into the third quarter. Page then scored twice more to narrow Westminster's lead to one (6-5) with 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, Penn College equalized at 8-8 thanks to Harrison Schlachta's shot with 9:53 left. Westminster quickly regained a two-goal lead within a minute, and Page concluded the scoring for Penn College at the 7:49 mark.

The Wildcats had an opportunity to tie in the final moments of the game, but their shot hit off the post.

Sam Hills and Jake Small contributed additional goals for Penn College, with Small also adding two assists for a total of three points on his day. On defense, Ian Stambaugh and Walt Heiser each caused two turnovers. Both Jake Small and Mason Nester were proactive in recovering ground balls, collecting four each. Alex Hammond guarded Penn College’s net effectively with 18 saves.

Westminster was propelled by Gavin Jones' five-goal performance accompanied by two assists. Bradley Green defended their net successfully with twelve saves.

Looking ahead, Penn College is set to host Montclair State this Saturday for a match scheduled at 1 p.m.