Men’s Lacrosse Looks to Replicate Last Year’s Success Against Bryant

By: Liam O’Brien

The Patriot League opener certainly did not go as planned for Boston University men’s lacrosse.

After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter and appearing as though they were destined to enjoy a Saturday afternoon stroll through Navy, the Terriers were victimized by Midshipmen attack Jack Ray and his boisterous five-goal performance.

BU had a plethora of chances late in the contest while holding leads of 7-5 and 8-7, however, the Midshipmen responded to each successive Terrier rally. Ultimately, it was a late goal by Navy midfielder Greyson Torain that did BU in with 59.1 seconds remaining in the contest.

Unfortunately for BU, the going does not get any easier as the squad embarks on its heaviest road swing of the season. The Terriers face off against Bryant on Tuesday night in Rhode Island before bracing themselves for the Colorado altitude in a matchup with Air Force on Saturday.

BU has had success against Bryant in the past. In 2017, the Bulldogs visited Nickerson Field on the last Tuesday of February and were dealt a 12-9 loss at the hands of the scarlet and white. Current senior Jack Wilson enjoyed a hat trick to lead the Terriers, while James Burr and Ryan Hilburn each added two goals.

Similar to last Saturday’s contest, BU led 4-0 in their previous game against Bryant before coughing up the lead. The Bulldogs scored three unanswered goals in the third quarter to narrow the gap to 6-5. The Terriers managed to put the game out of reach in the fourth, however, notching six goals in the stanza.

Bryant has endured an up-and-down season thus far. After scorching Manhattan, 15-7, in their season opener, the Bulldogs dropped consecutive affairs against Bucknell and Providence. Last Saturday, however, Bryant’s offense ran rampant on Hartford as the Bulldogs walked their way to a 15-10 win.

A product of the burgeoning California lacrosse scene, senior Cam Ziegler ran amok in Saturday’s win. He dropped four goals and an assist for the Bulldogs, including two in the fourth quarter to stave off a Hartford comeback.

Ziegler is second on the team with eight goals on the season. Bryant’s highest volume scorer has been freshman attack Marc O’Rourke, who also garnered a hat trick against Hartford to give him a team-best nine goals. The Hingham, Mass. product dominated in high school, leading his Harbormen to a state title in his final season while earning conference MVP honors.