Adrian Overtakes Tigers With Fourth-Quarter Barrage

ADRIAN, Mich. - A strong start fizzled for the Wittenberg Tigers, who saw host Adrian come storming back from a 7-2 first quarter deficit to claim a 14-11 non-conference victory.

The loss dropped Wittenberg to 0-2 on the young season, heading into a Spring Break week trip to Tennessee that includes a game at Sewanee on Wednesday, March 11. Adrian improved to 3-0 under first-year Head Coach Scott Morrison, who had spent the previous two seasons at Wittenberg as an assistant.

Wittenberg dominated the opening period, scoring a whopping seven times to take a commanding 7-2 advantage into the second quarter. Adrian responded with five straight goals, however, setting the stage for a back-and-forth contest that eventually went the Bulldogs' way.

A goal with just six seconds left in the second quarter gave Wittenberg a 10-8 halftime lead, and both teams managed to score just once in the third quarter. But the Tigers' two-goal edge evaporated over the final 9:23, culminating in a disastrous 1-minute stretch in which Adrian's Mitch Burgin scored three times to put the game away.

The team stats were dead even, with Adrian holding a narrow 37-34 advantage in shots and a 28-27 edge in ground balls. Both teams' goalkeepers were credited with nine saves in the game, and Adriad was charged with one more turnover. The face-offs wound up 15-14 in favor of the visiting Tigers.

Individually, junior Thomas Fuss (New Albany, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) led with four goals on five shots, and junior Andrew Fuss (New Albany, Ohio/Gahanna Lincoln) contributed one goal and two assists to the attack. Sophomore Austin Brady (Pickerington, Ohio/North) tallied three times in the game, while sophomore Zach Shy (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) chipped in with a pair of assists.

Senior Riley Boehm (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) was solid in the face-off circle, finishing 15-of-25. He also picked up a whopping nine ground balls.

Written By: Ryan Maurer