Box Score JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Eastern University Men's Lacrosse rallied several times but was never able to get into the lead in a 16-11 loss to Grove City College in Jacksonville. Brett Williamson scored twice, and Frankie Fanelli and Gavin Stark each posted two goals and two assists. The Eagles (3-4) were within a goal at 12-11 before Grove City scored the final four goals of the game for the final margin.

The Wolverines (2-5) came into the day with only one win, but three of their five losses came to teams ranked in the top five, and another was against a very good Roanoke team. The lost 8-6 to Salisbury in an early-season neutral-site game  and fell to fifth-ranked Christopher Newport in double-overtime. 

Grove City scored the first two goals of the contest before Stark and Williamson tallied to tie the score at the midpoint of the first quarter. The Wolverines scored the final two goals of the first and the first goal of the second quarter. Williamson put away his second to close the gap to 5-3, before the Wolverines converted on an extra-man chance and put away a transition tally off the ensuing faceoff for a 7-3 lead with six minutes to go in the half. 

Brett Gougler scored early in the next possession and Brennan Kaut finished a Frankie Fanelli pass to close the Grove City edge to 7-5. Grove City scored two more goals in the final three minutes of the half to hold a 9-4 edge at the intermission. 

"We had not seen their ride on film," Head Coach Piper said after the game. "We had spent some time on it, but we did not spend enough, and we struggled to clear against what they were doing. With those lost possessions we wound up chasing for most of the game. It was good to see us battle back in the second half, and Zach Klym had another great effort in goal."

Stark set up Frankie Fanelli for the first goal of the second half and then scored his second of the day to answer a Grove City tally. 

After Stark's goal, the Wolverines scored back-to-back faceoff goals to build their lead to 12-7 with nine minutes to play in the third quarter. 

Dan Divita drove home a low shot in transition to grab one back with three and a half to play in the quarter and Nck Litzenberger set up Christopher Fanelli for a man-up tally with two minutes left. Late in the period Stark shot a ball off the crossbar that caromed all the way to the middle of the field and turned into Grove City possession.

On a man-up chance early int he fourth, Litzenberger scored on a step-down effort after a pass from Jake Vitone to close the gap to two goals. Three and a half minutes later, Fankie Fanelli bounced one home off a Stark pass. 

The Eagles had a chance to tie, but the Wolverines won the ball back and finished the game on four-goal run.

The Eagles will host Neumann University on Olson Field next Saturday.