In what will go down as one of the wildest games of the season, the Stevenson University men’s lacrosse team (7-3) orchestrated an epic fourth-quarter comeback on Wednesday night, rallying from a six-goal deficit to defeat Elizabethtown College (4-5), 13-12.
The Mustangs, known for their gritty play and high-tempo offense, showed unmatched resilience, scoring eight unanswered goals in the final 12 minutes of play to steal the win on the road from the Blue Jays.
Elizabethtown wasted no time getting on the board, striking just 1:22 into the opening quarter. But Stevenson answered quickly, as senior attackman Grant Zick fired home the equalizer to spark the Mustangs’ offense. Moments later, Dillon Linhardt finished off a smooth offensive sequence with a goal assisted by Taz Delaney, giving Stevenson a brief 2-1 lead.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth battle. The Blue Jays tied the game early at 2-2, but Stevenson answered again, this time with back-to-back goals from Dominic Jennings and Darrell Curtis, making it 4-2.
Elizabethtown, however, didn’t back down—capitalizing on Mustang miscues and defensive lapses to tie the game at 4-4 going into halftime.
Coming out of the break, momentum shifted hard in favor of the home team. Elizabethtown exploded for five straight goals in the third quarter, taking advantage of key faceoff wins and a Stevenson offense that momentarily stalled. With just one second remaining in the third, Curtis gave the Mustangs a glimmer of hope with a much-needed man-up goal to make it 9-5 entering the final frame.
That late goal proved to be a turning point.
Going into the fourth quarter, Zick shared what the team mindset was to flip the switch and get the offense back on the right track.
“In the huddle, we just talked about getting back to playing like we are used to playing and just focusing on one goal at a time.”
Elizabethtown extended its lead to 11-5 early in the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs refused to quit. The comeback began with a gritty goal from Connor Dunay, who battled through contact to bury one and ignite the Mustang sideline.
Andrew Searing and Hunter Bryant quickly followed with goals of their own, swinging the momentum back in Stevenson’s favor and trimming the lead to 11-8.
The final five minutes were nothing short of electric. With each possession, the Mustangs attacked with purpose and precision. Curtis struck again to make it 11-9, followed closely by goals from Bryant and Searing to tie the game at 11-11.
Zick found the back of the net for his second of the night to give Stevenson its first lead since the second quarter, and Gavin Gossen capped off the stunning run with a goal that proved to be the game-winner.
Elizabethtown managed to cut the lead to one with under a minute remaining, but Stevenson’s defense stood tall and ran out the clock to seal the comeback victory.
Curtis led the charge with a dominant five-point night (3 goals, 2 assists), putting his stamp on every phase of the game. Bryant, Zick, and Searing each tallied two goals, while Linhardt and Gossen contributed a goal and an assist apiece. Jennings and Dunay also added goals, rounding out a balanced offensive attack.
Goalkeeper Tyler Merchant came up clutch in key moments, recording 13 saves to anchor the Mustang defense, including several critical stops late in the game.
The Mustangs will now have the next week to rest, reset and recharge to begin a MAC title repeat. Zick also shared what the team will work on between now and April 5. “We really just have to get the intensity up and start playing harder. We are just gonna dial everything in and get back to work.”
Stevenson now turns its attention to conference play. The Mustangs return to action on Saturday, April 5, when they host Eastern University at Mustang Stadium. Faceoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. as Stevenson looks to carry its momentum into MAC Commonwealth play.
