Franciscan 8, Saint Vincent 13

Franciscan Starters 
Luke Reimer, Alex Ahmann, Joseph James, Jeofre Strandhagen, Sam Smith, Samuel Marshall, Dominic Miraglia, Brendan Lacey, Joseph Redmond & Goalkeeper- Richard Vale II 

How It Happened 
   Franciscan began PAC play on Wednesday evening against Saint Vincent College at Trinity Health System Field. The Bearcats were picked to finish second in the conference from the Preseason Coaches' Poll, but they had struggled through non-conference play with just a pair of wins. The Barons entered this one on five-game winning streak with a 7-2 record in non-conference matchups. 
    
    The Bearcats would strike first with a goal less than two minutes into this one, but the Barons would answer. Franciscan would score four in a row, by four different players, as Samuel Marshall, Nathaniel Carter, James Masso, and Joseph James all found the back of the net. The Bearcats would add their second goal, before Carter would add his second to give Franciscan a 5-2 lead heading into the second quarter. The second quarter would belong to Saint Vincent. They scored five in a row to take a 7-5 lead. Joseph James would add his second of the day to snap their run, but the Bearcats would take a two goal lead into the second half. 

    Three minutes into the second half, Gavin Cook scored his first goal of the night to pull the Barons within one. The third quarter would mostly be a defensive battle before the Bearcats netted a pair of late goals to expand their lead to three with one final quarter to play. Joseph James netted a goal early on in the fourth to pull the Barons to within two, but that would be as close as they would get the rest of the night. The Bearcats would make clears very difficult and cause turnovers that would allow them to drain the clock and control the final quarter to secure the win. 
    
Inside the Numbers 
- James led the Barons with four points and three goals.
- Redmond caused three turnovers.
- Vale had 19 saves.
- The Bearcats had 21 more shots then the Barons.

Up Next 
Franciscan will return to action at Westminster on April 3rd. This will be the eighth meeting between the Titans and Barons all-time, as the Titans have won the previous seven. Nicholas Sando netted three goals in last year's matchup that resulted in a final score of 20-7. 

Stay Connected 
Be sure to follow Franciscan Athletics on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage.