Thiel 25, Franciscan 6
Franciscan Starters
William Yamin, Elijah Evans, Joe Miraglia, Daniel Clayton, Dru Teague, Benjamin Lyle, Gavin Cook, Matthew Brake, Michael Araps & Goalkeeper - Grant McKeown
Thiel Starters
Dylan Waskiewicz, Bennett Medyn, Sheldon Bourdeau, Selom Kalin-Samlan, Justin Mason, Anthony Richards, Alex Andreozzi, Jason Masciantonio, Jeffrey Karnoff & Pat Hartnett
How It Happened
The Franciscan Men's Lacrosse team fell on senior day to Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opponent Thiel by a score of 25-6. Before the game, Franciscan honored senior players Benjamin Lyle, Michael Araps, Grant McKeown and William Muraski.
After an hour long lightning delay, the Barons and Tomcats caught a break in the weather allowing the game to get started. The Barons offense got off to a slow start, unable to find the back of the net in the first thirty minutes. Franciscan's defense led by starting goalkeeper Grant McKeown kept the Thiel in check, holding them to 10 goals in the first half.
The Barons would finally get on the board in the third quarter. With a man advantage, Michael Araps found an open Joe Miraglia for a goal. Thiel would push the offense, building a 19-1 lead entering the fourth quarter. Franciscan would get the offense going in the fourth quarter. Elijah Evans passed to an open Gavin Cook for a quick goal, just seconds into the quarter. Thirty seconds later, Araps capitalized on some open space, scoring his first goal of the game. Cook would find the back of the net two more times in the quarter off passes from Araps and Evans to complete his hat trick. With four minutes remaning Jimmy Rush scored his first goal of the season. Franciscan could not cut into the deficit, falling 25-6.
Inside the Numbers
- Franciscan was led by Gavin Cook who scored three goals
- Michael Araps filled the stat sheet, scoring once and adding two assists
- Jimmy Rush scored his first goal of the season
- Joe Miraglia found the back of the net, scoring with a man advantage
- Elijah Evans added a pair of assists
- Thomas Pillar collected nine ground balls, winning 11 faceoffs
- Grant McKeown made 13 saves in goal
Who's Next?
Franciscan will remain at home for their regular season finale against Saint Vincent College on Saturday afternoon. These two teams squared off in Franciscan's season opening game. The Bearcats would be victorious by a score of 18-4. The Barons are still searching for their first win over the Bearcats, as they are 0-7 all-time. Saint Vincent has clinched a PAC Tournament spot, but they can still improve their seeding with a win.
Stay Connected
Be sure to follow Franciscan University on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage of FUS athletics.
