Women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis

Men’s lax has special night vs. moravian

The Mule captains give the book of letters to the Greyhounds.

Early in the Muhlenberg men’s lacrosse team’s game against Moravian, senior Ari Jacobson dropped to the turf after receiving a stick to a ... special area.

Jacobson left the field for a brief rest with a smile on his face, and after the game it was all smiles for the Mules, who won their home finale handily, 17-7.

Something that was a different kind of special took place before the game. Jacobson and Muhlenberg’s other two senior captains, Matthew Schroeder and Sean Delany, presented the Greyhounds’ captains with a book of letters written by each Mule. The letters implore the Moravian athletic department to keep lacrosse as a varsity sport (before the season Moravian announced it was discontinuing both men’s and women’s lacrosse).

“We all wrote why we value being lacrosse players,” said Jacobson. “Athletics have been a big part of all of our academic experiences, and I know it’s helped me in the classroom. It’s a shame they are getting rid of the program.”

Junior Oliver Baron logged the most time in net of Muhlenberg’s goalies, more than 27 minutes, and made a career-high seven saves while allowing just one goal.

“The Matte Award is a big deal in the area,” added Jacobson of the all-sports competition between Muhlenberg and Moravian, which Muhlenberg has already clinched and now leads, 11½-2½. “It’s nice to get to be a part of that on the field.”

Schroeder not only shined on the defensive end, but he also recorded his first point of the season, an assist on Siebold’s man-down goal. It was the Mules’ first man-down goal of the year.

If this was, indeed, the final meeting between Muhlenberg (5-6) and Moravian (1-10) in men’s lacrosse, it was another memorable one for the Mules. Jacobson and sophomore Alex Ardolino both recorded hat tricks, and nine others tallied goals. Four Mules – sophomores Charlie Pianko and Matt Zaverucha and freshmen Doug Rheiner and Andrew Masterson – scored their first career goals.

Several other freshmen saw their first collegiate action, and all four goalies logged time between the pipes in the Mules’ first win by more than one goal since last year’s Moravian game.

“It always feels good to see guys who work hard in practice and don’t get to play much get rewarded,” noted Jacobson.

Nearly half of the game’s goals came in a high-scoring first quarter. Muhlenberg scored eight of the period’s 11 goals and netted all three in the second to enter halftime leading 11-3. With the game out of reach in the second half the younger Mules were able to gain valuable playing experience.

The eight goals in one quarter were one short of the school record, and Muhlenberg’s nine assists were one away from the modern (since 2003) school record.

Sophomore Clint Watkins had two goals and two assists, and junior Brent Siebold tallied two goals, one of which came man-down, and an assist. Schroeder had team highs of six ground balls and four caused turnovers. Jacobson and sophomore Nick Rispoli were both 6-for-6 on faceoffs.
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