MACON, Ga. – The Queens University of Charlotte men's lacrosse team (3-7, 0-1) opened Atlantic Sun Conference play today at Mercer (2-7, 1-0), falling 12-11 to the Bears.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Following a goal from the Bears, Queens reeled off three in a row to take a 3-1 lead in the opening quarter. Mercer would answer at 1:25, but a late goal from Queens' Lawson Jones gave the Royals a 4-2 advantage heading into the second, where both teams added two goals to the board to give the game a 6-4 score at the half.
 
The Bears came out of the break with the momentum and scored three goals in a row before Jack Royer and Nate Gilmore found the back of the cage to keep Queens in front, 8-7, heading into the final 15 minutes of the game.
 
Mercer tied the game up at 8-8 at 9:15, but a pair of goals scored by Royer and Grant Isika would put Queens back in front by two, 10-8. However, the Bears answered with a pair of goals to knot the game up again. Ryan McDaniel scored a goal with 5:11 to play, putting the Royals on top by one, 11-10, but the Bears were able to equalize things again at 3:39.
 
A save by Nicky West and a ground ball secured by Brooks Stankavage allowed the Royals to call a timeout and set up for today's game winner with less than two minutes to play. However, the Royals would come up unlucky as the Bears goalkeeper recorded the save on the play and Mercer quickly transitioned to the other end of the field to score the eventual game winner with 27 seconds to play.
 
KEY STATS & NOTES 

• Jack Royer led the Royals with four goals.
• Grant Isika was 14-26 at the face off, totaling three ground balls en route to tallying his 100^th ground ball in a Royals uniform.
• Nicky West recorded a new career-high 17 saves.
• Dillon Bush totaled three goals for Mercer, including today's game winner.
• Michael Frederick led Mercer with six points on four goals and two assists.
• Rand Paddack tallied 167 saves for the Bears.
• The Royals recorded 27 shots on goal compared to Mercer's 29.
• Queens won the battle for ground balls 29-23, and the battle at the face off, 14-13.

 
UP NEXT
Queens is back home next week, hosting Jacksonville on Saturday, April 5, at 2 p.m. for Alumni Day.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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