COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Capital University men's lacrosse team (6-8, 5-2 OAC) hit the field at Bernlohr Stadium for the final time in the 2024 regular season, playing host to Marietta (7-7, 4-3 OAC) in a game that would end up being delayed by an hour due to severe weather. The Comets must have been itching to get going as, after the delay, they could not be stopped, storming out to 19-2 victory.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Cap kept the ball in the offensive zone for the majority of the first half – and the game in general – scoring seven straight before a retaliation. The Purple and White would put in six unanswered goals in the first quarter, coming from Mason Spaulding (2), Jacob Poole, Ty Chase, and Nathan Montgomery. 

Spaulding put another in at the start the second quarter before Marietta finally broke through with their first of the game after 24 scoreless minutes. It would end up being the Pios only goal of the half, outscored by CU 5-1 in the second quarter. The other four Capital goals were scored by Montgomery, Tyler Lieu, Max Schillig, and Spaulding again to give the Comets an 11-1 advantage at the half.

The Pioneers put another in to start the second half, but would then stay scoreless for the remainder of the game as Cap piled on two more in the third quarter and six more in the fourth, making it a 19-2 finish. Aiden Manning and Cooper Kirda took responsibility for the scores in the third quarter, with Spaulding and Belt both adding two in the fourth along with single scores from Kaison Durham and Colton Woods. 

THE NUMBERS
Mason Spaulding was the game's leading scorer with six goals and four assists for 10 points, along with a career-high seven ground balls.

Jake Belt put in three goals and added an assist for four points.

Nathan Montgomery also came away with four points, his off of two goals and two assists with a caused turnover as well. 

Aiden Manning and Jacob Poole put up two points each off of one goal and one assist. Manning would add a caused turnover while Poole picked up one ground ball. 

Ty Chase, Cooper Kirda, Max Schillig, Tyler Lieu, Colton Woods, and Kaison Durham made up the six remaining goal-scorers, all with one. Schillig scooped up three ground balls and caused one turnover while Woods grabbed one GB. Lieu led the team in faceoffs, going 9-for-13 with four ground balls. 

Freddy Noday (3-of-9) and Jayden Walter (0-of-1) were also on the faceoff. Noday nabbed one ground ball.

Eric Patterson grabbed a career-high eight ground balls and caused four turnovers. He was joined on the defensive statsheet by James Howenstine (2 CT, 3 GB), Gino Nave (2 CT, 3 GB), Drew Bolen (1 CT, 1 GB), Austin Yanichko (1 CT, 1 GB), Mason Patrick (1 CT), Jordan Marty (1 CT), Jay Schmoldt (1 CT), Zen Kropp (1 GB), Jackson Gantz (1 GB), and Logan Byers (1 GB).

Luc Kadlic (6-8) kept a fairly clean cage with an 80.0% save percentage, making eight saves against 10 shots on goal. He also picked up two ground balls.

UP NEXT
The Comets head to the campus of their cross-town rivals on Saturday, playing Otterbein in the Battle for the Oar at 1 p.m.