Stevenson University’s men’s lacrosse team continued their win streak on April 18 with a 18-8 victory over Albright College, pushing their Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth record to 39-0 since joining the MAC in 2013.
The Mustangs did not let their 3-3 start to the season deter them, as they went on to claim seven straight victories.
There was an atmosphere of confidence going into the Albright game, which happened to be the Mustangs’ senior night. Sophomore Brandt Guldin said that winning is nothing new to the team: “We strive to breed a winning environment both on the field and in the locker room. Obviously these wins are great confidence boosters but we try not to get caught up in a ‘streak’ and instead remain focused on our overall goals.”
The team’s overall goals have remained relatively the same since their national championship run in 2013: win the MAC and compete for the championship again. This year is looking good for the Mustangs, as they are a perfect 7-0 in conference play thus far.
Widener University was Stevenson’s closest conference game of the season, with a hard fought 10-8 victory on April 8. Senior Kyle D’Onofrio led all scorers with four goals while sophomore JT Thelen contributed another three. Senior goalie Ross Dinan finished with game with seven saves on 15 shots.
Stevenson followed up this game with a convincing 26-3 victory over Alvernia University on April 13. This shootout was led by senior Wade Korvin who scored five goals, and junior Kyle Karsian and Thelen each contributed three goals while teammates Brandon Watson, Sean Ohlhaver and Tyler Fuhrman had two goals each.
The Mustangs sent their seniors out in style with an 18-8 victory over Albright College on April 18. The team was led by Thelen who scored five goals, and Fuhrman, Korvin and Karsian each had an additional three. Stevenson’s defense was locked in, allowing only 12 shots on goal for the game.
Stevenson is rallying behind a strong group of upperclassmen this season, with a combined 27 juniors and seniors on the team. The Mustangs are led by Dinan and D’Onofrio as well as junior Dominic DeFazio, according to sophomore midfielder/faceoff Chris Varnado. The chemistry that develops from having so many upperclassmen gives the team a great advantage over younger teams, and makes it easier on the young Mustangs to buy into the team’s attitude, Varnado added.
With three regular season games left on the schedule, the Mustangs hope to continue their winning form heading into their final games, and both MAC Commonwealth and NCAA tournaments.
The Mustangs look to ride this streak into the playoffs, finishing up their regular season with three road games against No. 11 Cabrini University, No. 20 Stevens Tech and Messiah College. A win at Messiah would complete the conference sweep with eight wins and zero losses against conference opponents. Their victory over the Falcons will also lock Stevenson in for the No. 1 seed in the MAC Commonwealth Tournament.