EDWARDSVILLE – The Wilkes University men's lacrosse team fell 20-7 against the Misericordia University Cougars in a Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) match on Wednesday night.
 
The Colonels fall to 2-12 on the season and 0-5 in conference play. The Cougars move to 7-7 overall and 3-2 in the MAC Freedom.
 
Wilkes took an early lead over Misericordia in the first quarter when Dillon Kadis (McSherrystown, PA/Delone Catholic) scored just two minutes in. The Colonels held the lead until the Cougars evened things out with 7:28 to go in the quarter. Matthew Warns (Cutchogue, NY/Mattituck) then gave Wilkes the lead again off an assist from Brendan Keegan (Middletown, NY/Pine Bush). Before the end of the quarter the Cougars were able to score three more times, taking a 4-2 lead over the Colonels at the end of the quarter. Wilkes had six shots in the first quarter and Joseph Marino (Swedesboro, NJ/Kingsway Regional) had seven saves on 11 shots on goal.
 
Misericordia had 19 shots in the quarter, and one save on three shots on goal.
 
The Cougars expanded their lead scoring eight goals in the second quarter. The Colonels were able to score twice in the quarter after goals from Luke Weakland (Sparks, MD/Hereford) and Colby Opromolla (Patterson, NY/Carmel). Wilkes had eight shots in the quarter and Marino made three saves on 11 shots on goal.
 
The Cougars had 15 shots in the second quarter and had two saves on four shots on goal.
 
Misericordia earned the first two goals of the third quarter, but Wilkes scored the third from Tim Hartka (Phoenix, MD/Calvert Hall) off an assist from Austin Seames (Newton, NJ/Kittatinny Regional). The Cougars went on to score three more goals in the quarter leading the Colonels 17-5 at the end of the third. Wilkes had nine shots in the quarter and Marino had four saves on nine shots on goal.
 
Misericordia had nine shots in the third quarter and four saves on five shots on goal.
 
Wilkes was able to score twice in the fourth quarter after goals from Opromolla and Jacob Kudysch (Stratford, CT/Frank Scott Bunnell), but it was not enough to catch the lead that Misericordia had built. The Cougars scored three goals in the quarter sealing their 20-7 victory over the Colonels. Wilkes had six shots in the quarter and Marino made three saves on six shots on goal.
 
The Cougars had six shots in the fourth quarter, and one save on three shots on goal.
 
Wilkes had a total of 29 shots in the game led by Weakland with six, followed by Henry O'Connor (Baltimore, MD/Dulaney) and Hartka each with four. Marino had a total of 16 saves on 36 shots on goal. Misericordia had a total of 49 shots in the game and eight saves on 15 shots on goal.
 
The Colonels had a total of 33 ground balls in the game led by Luke Wawrzynek (Harleysville, PA/Souderton Area) with six and Marino and Hunter Riley (Ballston Lake, NY/Shenendehowa Central) each with four. The Cougars had a total of 43 ground balls in the game.
 
Wilkes was 18-23 on clears and won a total of 12 face-offs with L. Wawrzynek winning them all. Misericordia was 17-21 on clears and won a total of 18 face-offs.
 
The Colonels earned a total of three caused turnovers in the game with Riley, Hartka, and Aiden Battista (Hockessin, DE/Delaware Military Academy) each with one. The Cougars had seven caused turnovers in the game.
 
The Wilkes men's lacrosse team returns to action on Saturday when they travel to Madison, N.J. to take on FDU-Florham for another MAC Freedom contest at 1:00 p.m.