Muhlenberg College Athletics

Chilly, windy, snowy conditions caused many at the Muhlenberg men’s lacrosse game at Scranton to lose feeling in their fingers and toes. But it was impossible not to gain the feeling that the Mules are playing with more confidence.

Senior Michael Carpetto scored his first goal of the season with 3:12 left in the fourth to cap the Mules’ scoring.

Muhlenberg (2-2) scored on its first shot on the first possession of the game, when sophomore Jon Thomas blasted one in for his seventh goal of the season with just 56 seconds elapsed.

Although they slowed their scoring pace, the Mules didn’t need many goals, thanks to a defense that allowed only one goal through the first three quarters.

“We played a lot better as a team,” said senior defenseman Zach Weiner. “We communicated well, and [sophomore goalie Adam] Schlauch was pretty nasty. The offense possessed the ball most of the time, so the defense didn’t have to do much.”

The defense was under pressure on several occasions, most notably when Muhlenberg was called for a three-minute non-releasable penalty late in the second quarter with the score 3-1. The defense allowed only one shot, which Schlauch saved, after which the Mules took possession and ran off the rest of the penalty time.

Weiner and fellow longsticks Ian de Ruiter, James Coleman, Jason Monroe and Nick Farmer also excelled at the end of quarters, keeping the Royals (1-2) from taking good shots.

Schlauch made 11 saves, one short of his career high.

Goals by seniors Jack Reilly and Doug Rheiner gave Muhlenberg a 3-1 lead midway through the second quarter, and the score remained that way until early in the fourth. Scranton scored two minutes into the final period to cut the lead to 3-2, but the Mules responded quickly with two goals in 51 seconds. Thomas assisted sophomore Jason Mertz on the first and scored the second himself, putting Muhlenberg comfortably ahead, 5-2.

The Mules had a 46-22 advantage in ground balls, with Mertz picking up a game-high 11. Senior Ian Jones went 7-of-11 on faceoffs and scooped up eight ground balls for a Mule team that will take its winning streak into a game against No. 6 Stevens on Wednesday.

“The first two games were rough, but we’re definitely coming together a lot more as a team,” said Weiner. “You can see it in practices. Everyone’s really excited, the practices are more intense. Everyone’s ready to get on to the next one.

“Two wins in a row is nice. Three would be better.”
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