STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – The still shorthanded Franciscan men's lacrosse team improved their game in the second half of a 17-3 loss to Thiel College.

The first half was rough for the Barons, getting outshot 37-15 and turning the ball over seven times in the first half. The team's inability to clear the ball and struggles putting their shots on net led to a 10-0 first half deficit.

"What was frustrating for me was that all week we worked on our clears and I thought we were just sloppy with it," head coach Pete Rosaschi said. "I thought we were even but we just couldn't clear the ball. For some reason we're not executing the way we know we can."

Rosaschi's team started to execute more efficiently in the second half after he urged them to stop pressing. They increased their clear percentage from 50 percent to almost 60 in the final 30 minutes and outshoot the Tomcats 14-13 in the third quarter.

These improvements led to Franciscan's first goal of the game, a laser shot from senior David Erskine on the man-up ten minutes into the third quarter. Erskine scored again with just over a minute left in the quarter, this time beating his man from X.

"I told them flat out 'you guys did not have fun in the first half. We need to settle down and have fun,'" Rosaschi said. "Just relax and have fun."

Franciscan was more fun to watch in the second half, thanks in large part to Erskine and sophomore Paul Modzelewski who had to carry the offense in the absence of the injured Mark Hanlon, the team's second leader in goals and leader in faceoffs.

Modzelewski had the Baron's third goal after picking up a ground ball on a failed Thiel clear and taking advantage of an unsettled defense. The other hero with Hanlon hurt was senior midfielder Peter Herrmann who won 14-23 faceoffs for Franciscan despite never taking a faceoff before the season started.

"For Peter Herrmann to go in and do faceoffs after having never taken faceoffs before, and he was a long pole last year, was unbelievable," Rosaschi said.

Less surprising but perhaps just as impressive, was the performance of sophomore goalie Jonah Soucy. The team captain again had a save percentage over 50, saving 18 of 35 shots despite many of those chances being one-on-one with the goalie. Soucy also was the team's most effective player on the clear, at one point running the length of the field, dodging multiple defenders, and almost assisting Erskine on what would've been his third goal of the game.

"Really he's an even better person than he is a goalie. He kept us in the game," Rosaschi said. "When he's in the game its more than his physical play. He gives a spirit to the defense."

 Franciscan will continue to look for its first win of the season, once again at home on April 18 at 2 pm against Hanover College.