March 18, 2015 – With 6 of the 13 games of the 2015 season completed, it’s time to take a look at the first half of the Biola University men’s lacrosse season. The team’s overall record sits at 2-4, with a 1-1 record in the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference’s (SLC) Division 2 North.
The Eagles opened the season with a tough 21-9 loss at the hands of Saint Mary’s College. Biola held an early 5-4 lead after the first quarter before St. Mary’s exploded for nine goals in the second quarter to put themselves ahead for good. Offensively, the Eagles were lead by Evan Ramirez (Fr., Attack), Jon Prichard (So., Attack), and Bryce Hummel (So., Midfield) who all chipped in with three points.
The second game of the season found Biola at Occidental College for their first SLC conference game of the season. Occidental took a 7-3 lead into halftime before the Eagles found their stride in the third quarter. Biola scored seven goals on seven shots in the third, and outscored Occidental 2-1 in the fourth. Ultimately, failure to convert on an extra-man opportunity in the final minutes gave Occidental the 13-12 win. Riley Corbett (Sr., Midfield) lead all scorers with five goals and one assist, and Ramirez matched Corbett’s total points with three goals and three assists of his own.
Biola earned their first win of the season with a 14-10 victory over visiting San Jose State University. The Eagles found themselves down 4-1 early in the game, before fighting back to tie it at 5-5 going into halftime. Biola outscored San Jose St. 9-5 in the second half, including seven goals in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. David Shaum (Sr., Attack) lead the Eagles with five points on two goals and three assists, while Ramirez, Prichard, Corbett, and Hummel all had four points. John Harzan (So., Goalie) and Jacob Keeth (Fr., Goalie) teamed up for 21 saves.
Game four of the season took Biola to The Claremont Colleges for their annual game. The Eagles hung with Claremont, taking an 8-5 lead in the second quarter, before Claremont responded to tie the game at 8-8 at halftime. Claremont’s offense clicked in the third quarter, scoring seven goals, and putting the game out of reach for Biola. Biola was lead by Prichard who tallied five goals and one assist, with Corbett, Hummel, and Ramirez all added four points each.
Biola then traveled to UC San Diego in a rematch of last season’s SLC Quarterfinals. The Eagles matched with UCSD all game, but were never able get closer than one goal. UCSD outscored Biola 4-2 in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach for the Eagles. Corbett and Prichard both scored two goals with one assist to lead Biola.
The Eagles notched their second win of the season with an 18-13 win over CSU Channel Islands in an important SLC conference matchup. After a 3-3 tie in the first quarter, Biola started to pull away, taking a three goal lead into halftime. CSUCI showed determination, scoring five goals in the fourth quarter, but Biola’s seven goals in the third were enough to keep them on top. Corbett and Shaum both netted six goals, a career high for Corbett, and Shaum added four assists to end the day with 10 points. Prichard chipped in with five goals, while Harzan and Keeth each made eight saves.