BRIDGEWATER, VA (February 17, 2024) - The Susquehanna University men's lacrosse team dropped their first game of the season to the Bridgewater College Eagles 9-8 in overtime on Saturday afternoon.
Susquehanna held control early in a back and forth first quarter as midfielder Nick Remund got the River Hawks on the board first just under two minutes in, but Bridgewater answered with a goal of their own just minutes later. Both sides traded shots, clears, and turnovers the rest of the quarter with Susquehanna's Jack Gaillard taking advantage of one such turnover to score his first goal of the game and give the River Hawks a 2-1 lead going into the second.
In the second Susquehanna's offense put constant pressure on Bridgewater. First-year attacker Pat McDermott scored his first goal as a River Hawk three minutes in off an assist from Gaillard to put Susquehanna up 3-1, which held until the last five minutes of the half when the Eagles cut it back to one. However, the River Hawks closed strong with two goals quick goals in 28 seconds from Jimmy Maro and Brennan Lorence to take a 5-2 lead into halftime.
In the third the switch flipped. Susquehanna's offense still got plenty of chances with seven shot attempts, but only one turned into a score, by Jack Gaillard with 6:11 left in the quarter. Meanwhile Bridgewater netted four goals off 10 shots, one off a man-up opportunity, to erase the deficit and make it a 6-6 tie after three.
To start the fourth Rob McCullough got Susquehanna the lead back with a goal just 90 seconds in off an assist from JP Jones, and that score held until McDermott set up Lorence for his second goal of the game on the River Hawks lone man-up opportunity to make it 8-6 with 4:11 left to play. Despite this Bridgewater kept fighting, bringing it back to a one goal game just a minute later, then tying the game with 49 seconds remaining out of a timeout to send it into overtime.
In overtime it took just one shot from Bridgewater's Trevor McClelland with 3:14 remaining to complete the comeback for the Eagles, giving them the 9-8 win. Lorence and Gaillard led the River Hawks with two goals each, with Gaillard adding an assist on top of it. McDermott shined in his first collegiate game with one goal and one assist, and as a team Susquehanna outshot Bridgewater 37-27. However, four critical penalties and 18 saves from Bridgewater goalie Gabe Wallman denied them a win on opening day.
Susquehanna will remain on the road for their next game in Wilkes-Barre against King's College next Saturday Feb. 24. The game will start at 1 p.m.
