Box Score

LISLE, Ill. - The Benedictine University men's lacrosse team played its first ever home contest on Saturday, battling tough with Olivet College in a 16-12 defeat, falling despite a career best five goals from Connor Mersch.

A tough close to the first and start to the second cost Benedictine. Both teams traded the first four goals with Benedictine responding to Olivet tallies each time. With 3:41 to go in the first, Olivet netted the first of six consecutive goals to take an 8-2 lead. Mersch stopped the tally with his second of the game with just over nine minutes left in the second quarter before Olivet finished with a flurry, tallying three straight to hold a lead of 11-3 at halftime.

Benedictine looked like a different team at times in the second half of the game but could not overcome the early deficit. Robert Abbott opened the scoring at the beginning of the third quarter as Benedictine outscored the visitors 4-2 in the third. Abbott and Mersch scored back-to-back to pull Benedictine within 12-6 at the midway point of the third. The Eagles pulled within five goals on three occasions in the final 15 minutes, but Olivet was able to hang on for the win. Tyler Buschow capped the scoring for Benedictine with 1:14 to play, but Olivet was able to run out the clock for the win.

Jeffrey Smitheram tallied 17 saves for Benedictine in goal, entering in the 21st minute of the contest. Mersch distributed an assist in addition to his five goals and led Benedictine with 19 shots. Abbott scored three times while Rudy Berg finished 10-for-17 on faceoffs. The Eagles finished with 46 shots in the defeat.

Benedictine (1-1) will open play in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference next Saturday at 12:00 p.m. against the College of Mount St. Joseph.