Men's Lacrosse opens 2020 season with 8-6 victory over Southern Virginia
By Tim Glon
ADA — Senior Cameron Marous (Brecksville) picked up his 15th career hat trick as the Ohio Northern men's lacrosse team opened its 2020 season with an 8-6 victory over Southern Virginia on a cold afternoon at Dial-Roberson Stadium.
The Polar Bears improve to 1-0 on the season and are 3-2 all-time in season openers under fifth-year head coach Nat St. Laurent.
The Knights fall to 1-1.
Marous scored twice in a span of 1:36 of the fourth quarter to break a 6-all tie and give ONU an 8-6 lead with 10:37 left in the game.
SVU got off eight shots the remainder of the game, but ONU freshman goalie Cole Zaferakis (Liverpool, N.Y.) was up to the task, making saves on all six of the shots that were on goal to keep the visitors at bay.
Zaferakis finished with 17 saves in goal in his first career start for a save percentage of .739.
Junior Joe O'Connell (Fishers, Ind.) also scored twice for ONU.
Southern Virginia was led by All-American Zach Danneman and Tennison Schmidt with two goals each.
SVU led 3-1 three minutes into the second quarter when the ONU offense scored five unanswered goals to lead 6-3 at halftime.
O'Connell got the streak started with goals at the 11:30 mark and the 7:19 mark to tie the game at 3-all.
Senior Patrick Moran (Autin, Tex./Bowie) scored a man-up goal with 5:34 left, senior Pat Berthelsen-Leaon (Bethpage, N.Y.) scored with 4:01 to go and Marous found the net at the 1:31 mark to give ONU its largest lead of the day.
The Knights scored the next three goals to tie the game at 6-6 with 13:54 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Ohio Northern out-shot Southern Virginia 39-31.
The game was the earliest season opener in school history and its 17-degree temperatures at the opening face-off made it the coldest season opener as well.
The Polar Bears will return to action on Saturday with a 2 pm contest at home against Elmhurst (Ill.) at Dial-Roberson Stadium.
