DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Luke Witko scored four goals to lead Delaware Valley men's lacrosse, but the Aggies fell to Misericordia University 18-6 on Saturday afternoon.
Misericordia jumped out to a fast start, building an 8-0 lead in the opening quarter before Kieran Schneider found Witko for DelVal's first goal with 3:36 remaining. The Cougars added one more before the end of the frame to take a 9-1 advantage.
The Cougars struck again off the opening faceoff of the second quarter, but the Aggies continued to battle as Daniel Hickling made four straight saves midway through the period. Delaware Valley successfully killed off a penalty after Ryan Rothenberger was called for slashing, but Misericordia capitalized on another man-up chance later in the quarter to extend its lead. Hickling added two more saves in the closing seconds of the half to keep the score at 11-1 heading into the break.
Hickling opened the third quarter with three more saves before Misericordia scored again. The Aggies responded with a quick burst, getting goals from Schneider and Witko following a Cougar turnover. After another Misericordia tally, Schneider converted on a man-up opportunity to keep DelVal within striking distance. The teams traded goals over the final stretch of the quarter, with Witko adding another tally as Misericordia carried a 16-5 lead into the fourth.
An unnecessary roughness penalty on the Cougars early in the fourth gave DelVal another man-up opportunity, and Witko capitalized for his fourth goal of the day. Hickling made two more saves in the period, but Misericordia added two late goals to secure the 18-6 victory. Dalton Richter and Jake Devereaux each put shots on goal in the final minutes but were unable to convert.
The loss drops the Aggies to 1-10 overall and 0-3 in MAC Freedom play. Delaware Valley returns to action on Wednesday, April 15, traveling to DeSales for a 7:00 p.m. matchup.
