Tigers Start Off Strong at Home After Falling Short Out of State

The Tiger men's lacrosse team has posted mixed results so far in 2003, losing a pair of Spring Break trip games in Virginia to traditional national powers Randolph-Macon and Virginia Wesleyan before returning home and whipping Oberlin in a nonconference game at home on Saturday.

The season's opening was delayed due to old man winter, which caused a March 1 game against Ohio Wesleyan to be postponed until April 15, a March 2 against Whittier to be cancelled and a March 19 game against Denison to be moved to April 1.

Against Randolph-Macon, the Tigers fell behind 6-2 by halftime and couldn't make up enough ground in the second half, losing 14-10. Junior Hans Rydquist (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and senior Dan Patterson (St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit) scored three goals each and junior goalkeeper Kyle Prussing (New Concord, Mass./Concord-Carlisle) turned away nine shots.

Against Virginia Wesleyan, the Tigers again fell behind early, this time trailing 15-3 by halftime, en route to a 22-7 defeat. Prussing faced 46 opposing shots, turning away 10, while the offense was led by Patterson and freshman Cory Windle (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) with two goals each.

Against Oberlin, the Tigers controlled the action throughout in claiming the comfortable victory. Sophomore Trevor Carlson (Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) scored five goals and Patterson added three tallies as Wittenberg outshot its visitors 37-12.