ADA, Ohio (Feb. 17)- The Saint Vincent men's lacrosse team was defeated by a final score of 13-5 by Ohio Northern University on the road in a snowy 2024 season-opener. 

The Bearcats (0-1) trailed by just one goal in the opening minutes of the second quarter, before the Polar Bears (1-0) rattled off five unanswered to open a 9-3 lead early in the third quarter, a deficit from which SVC could not recover.

After scoring a pair of goals for the Bearcats, senior Caleb Hawkins, a 2024 Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-American became just the 12th player in program history to collect 100 career goals. 

Hawkins also added one assist to record a team-best three points, while Liam McCall scored two goals and Jordan Billet one. Freshmen Tyler Harpst, Zander Vetter, and Hayden Nowotarski each assisted on goals to tally their first career points.

Fueled by a 14-19 performance in the face-off circle, Brady Beard snared nine ground balls to lead both teams. Benjamin Wohlin corralled five ground balls and teammate RJ Kenna four, while eight Bearcats were credited with one caused turnover.

Garrett Ritts played all 60 minutes in goal and totaled 10 saves, with three ground balls and one caused turnover.

The Polar Bears opened the game by scoring two goals in the first five minutes, before Hawkins tied it with a pair of unanswered goals, the second coming with 57 seconds left in the quarter. The deadlock lasted less than 10 seconds, however, as the Polar Bears scored with just under 50 seconds left in the frame to take a 3-2 lead after the first 15 minutes of the season.

Ohio Northern upped its lead with a goal in the opening minute of the second frame, before McCall's first marker pulled SVC back to within one, 4-3, with 12:23 remaining in the half. It was as close as the Bearcats would get, though, with the hosts scoring four goals in the final 11 minutes of the second quarter to take an 8-3 halftime lead.

The Polar Bears continued the surge by scoring their ninth goal in the opening minute of the third quarter, before SVC pulled to within four after McCall and Billet scored over the final moments of the frame to pull to within 9-5. 

Over the final frame, however, Ohio Northern put the game away by scoring the game's final four goals to coast down the stretch for the victory.

Hawkins is the third player over the past two seasons to join the 100 goal club, as Billet now has 107 career goals and Jacob Visali graduated in 2023 with 102 career tallies.

Saint Vincent will now have a weeklong layoff before returning to Ohio for a road game at the College of Wooster at noon on Saturday, Jan. 24.