William Penn Dominates Ottawa in a Commanding 28-1 Victory

Ottawa, Kan.--The No. 7 William Penn men's lacrosse team made a resounding statement Friday evening, dismantling Ottawa (Kan.) 28-1 in a Heart of America Athletic Conference showdown. 

The Statesmen (2-1, 1-0 Heart) dominated from start to finish, outshooting the Braves (0-4, 0-2 Heart) 55-3.

From the opening whistle, William Penn controlled the game's tempo. Breck Putzier (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., Exercise Science) kicked off the scoring with an assist from Nate Blasingame (Sr., Portland, Ore., Business Management). Garrett Katrana (Fr., Parker, Colo., Industrial Technology) added a goal of his own, unassisted, before Katrana found Putzier for another goal. The first period was rounded out by a goal from Daniel McQuade (Sr., Tucson, Ariz., Political Science), assisted by Putzier, and a goal from Putzier, assisted by Kenny Bohney (Jr., Moorhead, Minn.).

The offensive surge continued in the second quarter, as William Penn raced to a 9-0 lead. However, a brief lapse in focus allowed Ottawa to score their lone goal of the night. McQuade was unstoppable in the second period, netting eight goals, five of which came in a blistering final four minutes.

The third quarter saw no let-up from the Statesmen. Even while a man down due to an unfortunate penalty, Max Taylor (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., Business Management) added a goal off an assist from Putzier.  Putzier led the third-quarter charge, scoring three more goals and dishing out two assists, while Taylor finished the period with two goals and one assist.

In the final period, William Penn continued to assert dominance, as Nolan Kennedy (Sr., Waterloo, N.Y.)and Chris Hollenbaugh (Sr., Saugus, Calif., Psychology) each tallied their first goals of the game. McQuade capped off his record-tying performance by adding two more goals, bringing his total to 10, tying the program's record for most goals in a single game.

McQuade's offensive performance was a standout, as he took 14 shots and scored 10 goals. Putzier also had an exceptional outing with six goals and eight assists, totaling 11 shots. Katrana contributed two goals, five shots, and six assists.

Defensively, Max Standage (Sr., Gilbert, Ariz., Business Management) was a dominant force, collecting 12 ground balls to help William Penn outpace Ottawa 42-19 in ground ball control. The Statesmen also excelled in faceoffs, winning 27 of 32, with Bryce Campbell (Jr., Boise, Idaho) going 18-for-23 and Kameron Brown (So., Woodinville, Wash., Business Management) finishing a perfect 8-for-8.

William Penn's defense suffocated Ottawa, tallying just 13 turnovers themselves while the Statesmen forced Ottawa into 26 mistakes. The Statesmen were flawless in transition, completing all nine of their clears, while Ottawa struggled, successfully clearing only four of 15 attempts.

"We knew it could be tough to stay focused in a game like this, but the team played efficiently across the board," Head Coach Luke Christiansen said. "We're 1-0 in conference play and are well on our way toward achieving our goals."

Next Up: William Penn will open their home season at the Statesmen Community Stadium against Clarke in another Heart of America matchup, set for Monday at 6:00 p.m.