For the first time in program history, The College of Wooster men’s lacrosse team is 8-0. The Fighting Scots took down host Colorado College 15-10 on Saturday afternoon at Washburn Field to get off to the best start in the program’s 56-year history.
Colorado College (2-6), which qualified for the 2022 NCAA Div. III Championships, was within 11-10 with 11:23 remaining, and Wooster responded with a 4-0 run. Junior set up specialist Vinny DiLeo ignited the strong closing stretch by finding first-year Austin Jourde for a score at the 10:32 mark. Next, first-year Lane Kellogg assisted a DiLeo goal that made it 13-10. Scores by sophomore Rory Zahren and junior Casey Steffen put the game out of reach.
Junior Paul Chandler, playing in his home state, turned aside two Colorado College shots immediately after Steffen padded the lead to five. Sophomore Aidan Hyatt cleaned up the groundball after the second save, starting a crucial possession. A Colorado College unnecessary roughness penalty followed, and that enabled the Scots to burn nearly 2:30 off the clock before the Tigers regained possession. Senior Mason Poisson caused a Dylan Brown turnover with under 50 seconds remaining to officially clinch the signature win.
Earlier, Wooster overcame a 4-3 deficit with goals by DiLeo and junior Shane Epstein-Petrullo before Brown tied the game at five at the second period’s 6:32 mark. Kellogg’s goal with 46 ticks left before halftime was the go-ahead score, and that set off a rapid flurry of three goals in 35 seconds, two of which were scored by the Scots.
DiLeo scored four goals and passed out two assists, while Kellogg’s line was the opposite at two goals and four assists. Zahren had a four-point day with two goals and two assists. Steffen scooped up five groundballs and tied Poisson for the team-lead in caused turnovers at four. Chandler turned aside 11 Tiger shots.
Declan Maguire scored three times for Colorado College. The Tigers had two players at three caused turnovers, while Winston Chodnicki earned high marks in groundballs at five.
Colorado College outshot Wooster 36-33, but the Tigers did have 20 turnovers to the Scots’ 16. Of note, Wooster’s 16 turnovers marked the low count for the year.
Notable, as of posting time, Wooster has the best record within NCAA Div. III this spring. Christopher Newport University is also 7-0 and plays Dickinson College at 5:45 p.m. on March 18.
Next, Wooster is at the University of Mount Union (3-3) for a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday, March 22.
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