WILMINGTON, Ohio—Franciscan University's men's lacrosse team battled illness and a fast-paced Wilmington offense but made some improvements on their own offensive front in a 23-8 loss.

Head coach Pete Rosaschi said six of his team's players were unable to play due to an illness, a crippling setback for an already small roster.

"That really affected us on the bench," Rosaschi said. "It was pretty bad."

Though limited, FUS rallied to play its highest scoring game of the season, thanks to the persistent offensive production of players like freshman and sophomore middie's Mark Hanlon and Paul Modzelewski who combined for five of the team's eight goals.

Hanlon once again gave the team plenty of possessions, winning 19 of 32 face-offs for Franciscan and grabbing 13 of the team's 27 ground balls, while Modzelewski and freshman attack Mike Rosaschi added another three ground balls apiece.

"We were much more patient and our offense was much improved," Rosaschi said. "I really liked what we did on offense. We had some really good shots."

While FUS created some good shots, Wilmington created significantly more, finishing with 55 shots to the Barons' 22.

"Our ground balls were closer to where we wanted it to be, but the shot differential killed us," Rosaschi said. "They were a very fast team, well coached and well-disciplined. That's the reality of it."

Rosaschi added that while the Baron offense had some good looks, its inability to convert on several occasions and key mistakes, including their 30 turnovers, led to defensive breakdowns and more runs for Wilmington.

"It was one of those games where they were very fast, probably one of the fastest teams we'll face. We can't afford to make the mistakes we made," Rosaschi said. "A good team will expose our weaknesses."

Defensively, the coach said the Barons had no answer to Wilmington's offense.

"They had several players that were really good and it was one of those things where they just had too many weapons for us to cover," Rosaschi said.

Nevertheless, Rosaschi said his team fought to the bitter end, putting in two goals to Wilmington's three in the final quarter.

"I am very proud of the way we hustled and put up a fight," Rosaschi said. "Looking forward, we just need to get back to the fundamentals."

The Barons will next take on Alma College on Friday, March 27 at 7pm.