KINGS POINT, N.Y. (April 9, 2016) – The Drew University men's lacrosse team (1-10, 0-4) dropped a Landmark Conference contest at The United States Merchant Marine Academy (9-2, 2-1) after the Mariners exploded for nine goals in the second half on an unseasonably cold Saturday afternoon.
 
Top Performers: Senior midfielder Steven Cola and freshman midfielder Brendan Hamm each netted two goals for the Rangers, junior defender Michael Lloyd caused four turnovers and sophomore goalkeeper Greg Swenson made a career-high 18 saves amid USMMA outshooting the Rangers 48-31. Swenson's 18 saves are tied for ninth in the Rangers' record book for a single game.
 
The Turning Point: The Rangers scored the only goal of the second period with 11:02 to go before halftime. Freshman attacker Ryan D'Alessandro struck the back of the cage to cut the Mariners' lead down to 3-2. Swenson and Lloyd made spectacular plays leading into halftime to keep the score stationary, but Merchant Marine could not be held down for long. USMMA outscored Drew 5-1 in the third, giving the home team a cushion in the fourth despite a resurgent offensive effort by the Rangers down the stretch.
 
Other Highlights: Freshman Thomas Ensmenger scored his sixth goal of the season in the fourth quarter and sophomore midfielder Joe Palmieri assisted on Hamm's second goal of the game in fourth quarter.
 
Stat Sheet: The Mariners conquered two key statistical categories on Saturday, gaining a 40-25 advantage in groundballs and winning 13-of-22 faceoffs. Drew was hampered by 27 turnovers, but only four of those came during clearing attempts. The Rangers finished with a 21-of-25 mark on the clear.
 
Up Next: Drew returns home on Saturday, April 16 for a Landmark Conference tilt against Elizabethtown College at 1:00 p.m. at Ranger Stadium.