Statesmen Unable to Capitalize on Offensive Firepower in Loss to No. 10 Madonna  

Beverly Hills, Mich.--The No. 5 William Penn men's lacrosse team put up a strong offensive showing but fell just short in a high-scoring 19-17 battle against No. 10 Madonna in non-conference action Tuesday.

The Crusaders (2-1) wasted no time, striking just 10 seconds into the game. William Penn (1-1) took a bit longer to find its rhythm, with Garrett Katrana (Fr., Parker, Colo., Industrial Technology) netting the equalizer two minutes later. The opening quarter was a back-and-forth affair, as both teams exchanged goals. Katrana added his second, assisted by Breck Putzier (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., Exercise Science), but Madonna built a 5-3 edge. The Statesmen answered with back-to-back goals from Katrana and Max Taylor (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., Business Management), with Katrana assisting on Taylor's finish. However, Madonna responded with two more tallies to hold a 7-5 advantage heading into the second quarter.

Madonna continued to press in the second frame, striking early before Nate Blasingame (Sr., Portland, Ore., Business Management) got on the board at the 12:38 mark. The Crusaders answered with two more goals, but Blasingame cut into the lead with his second of the night, assisted by Everett Breniser (Fr., Centennial, Colo., Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management).

Coming out of halftime, the Crusaders seized control, outscoring WPU 7-4 in the third quarter. After Madonna struck first, the Statesmen responded with consecutive goals from Putzier (assisted by Katrana) and Katrana (assisted by Blasingame). Madonna, however, countered with two quick goals of its own. WPU continued to fight, adding two more goals, but the Crusaders closed the quarter with four unanswered strikes, pushing their lead to 17-11.

The final period saw William Penn mount a fierce comeback attempt. Nate Levy (Fr., Lynwood, Wash., Biology) opened the scoring, but Madonna answered immediately. The Statesmen then went on a 5-1 run, fueled by Blasingame's two goals, Katrana's goal and assist, and three assists from Putzier. Despite their late push, WPU was unable to erase the deficit.

William Penn outshot Madonna 47-36, with Katrana and Blasingame spearheading the attack with five goals each. Taylor contributed three goals, while Putzier orchestrated the offense with a team-high five assists. Katrana was also a key playmaker, adding four assists to his tally.

On the defensive end, Blasingame was a standout, scooping up 12 ground balls as WPU dominated the category 46-32. The Statesmen also controlled possession, winning 25 of 39 faceoffs. Kameron Brown (So., Woodinville, Wash., Business Management) led the charge at the X, going 10-for-13, while Blasingame finished 11-for-17 and Bryce Campbell (Jr., Boise, Idaho) went 4-for-9.

In transition, WPU was efficient, converting 22 of 26 clears, while Madonna went 27-for-32. Turnovers proved costly, as both teams committed 26, but the Crusaders forced 19 compared to WPU's 10. Putzier led the defensive effort with five caused turnovers, while Kenny Bohney (Jr., Moorhead, Minn.) contributed three.

"It's hard playing back-to-back games, but you have to do it if you want to win championships," said Head Coach Luke Christiansen. "We got exposed in a few ways and didn't execute to our potential. This one will haunt us for a while since we let it slip away, but I like the resolve the team showed. I'm eager to see the growth that comes from this loss."

Up Next: The Statesmen will have a break before returning to action on March 5, when they travel to Quincy, Ill., to take on Quincy at 7 p.m.