Bobcats Get Revenge on St. Mary’s in Playoff Opener

The Frostburg State University (FSU) men’s lacrosse team picked up a pair of crucial wins this week, defeating Mary Washington on Wednesday and St. Mary’s on Saturday.

Wednesday’s home game versus Mary Washington was the final regular season game. The Bobcats won the thrilling contest in overtime after first-year midfielder Matthew Ward scored a late goal to give the Bobcats a much needed 13-12 win.

The goal was Ward’s third of the game, tying him with teammate  junior Jimmy Lucas to lead the Bobcats. Chris White led the way for Mary Washington with three goals and two assists. The Bobcats finished the regular season with a respectable record of 9-7.

Wednesday’s game proved to serve as valuable momentum for the Bobcats, as they won their biggest game of the season the following Saturday. FSU faced St. Mary’s in the first round of the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) tournament. This was FSU’s second time facing St. Mary’s in their last three games. The Bobcats got revenge on the Seahawks, winning Saturday’s game 12-10 after losing 13-5 just seven days prior.

The Bobcats came out hot on the road, scoring six unanswered goals to begin the game, including three in the first five minutes. However, St. Mary’s showed resiliency and scored six unanswered goals of their own to tie the game at 6-6 with 10:02 to play in the third quarter.

The back and forth contest continued as Frostburg scored five more unanswered goals, taking a 11-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Bobcats resisted a final push by St. Mary’s and finished the game with a 12-10 playoff victory.

Saturday’s playoff game was a team effort in which four different players scored two goals. Juniors Michael Sipes and Paul Ruppert led FSU in assists with two each. FSU’s Jack Marks and St. Mary’s Ross Snodderly each had 10 saves on the afternoon.

The Bobcats will play on the road at #2 York College on Wednesday, May 1  in the semifinals of the CAC tournament. The game will be a tough test for the Bobcats, with the Spartans being among the nation’s elites, boasting a 16-1 record. The time of the opening face-off is pending and hasn’t been released at this time.