THE BASICS:
 
- Score: MIT 13, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy 2
 
- Records: MIT (9-0); Merchant Marine (3-5)
 
- Location: Cambridge, Mass. (Roberts Field at Steinbrenner Stadium)
 
- The Lead: A strong defensive performance coupled with 11 consecutive goals powered MIT to a 13-2 victory over the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in a non-conference men's lacrosse game on Saturday. Graduate student Ryan Gebhardt (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) posted four goals and an assist for the Engineers, breaking the program record for goals in season. He currently has 52 goals and he eclipsed the mark of 51 that was set by Graham Davis '18 in 2018. Carter Hall and Sam Winkler provided the goals for the Mariners.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 
- Hall opened the scoring just over five minutes into the game but MIT quickly replied with a strike by senior Andy Shin (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) that was set up by classmate Liam Miller (Pasadena, Calif.). Sophomore Heath Nilsen (Carlsbad, Calif.) put the Engineers in front, 2-1, at the 4:59 mark, however, Winkler buried the equalizer with 3:08 left in the quarter.
 
- MIT gradually pulled away in the second quarter as it posted four unanswered goals. Senior Gavin Vandenberg (Elmhurst, Ill.) set up junior Teddy Corcoran (Harrison, N.Y.) for what proved to be the game-winning goal almost two minutes into the frame. Midway through the quarter, Shin gave the Engineers some breathing room after redirecting a feed from Gebhardt. Sophomore Jack McCordic (Medfield, Mass.) quickly found the back of the net while a solo effort by Gebhardt resulted in a 6-2 lead at halftime.
 
- Nilsen scored 1:06 into the third quarter and less than two minutes later, McCordic found first-year Ethan Robertson (Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) for a man-up goal. Another unassisted marker by Gebhardt gave MIT a 9-2 lead with 2:56 remaining.
 
- In a span of 3:11 during the second half of the fourth quarter, Gebhardt and Nilsen traded goals en route to a 13-2 final score.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 
- Nilsen finished with four goals while Vandenberg earned two assists. First-year Matthew Sardis (Bernardsville, N.J.) won 17 of his 19 faceoff attempts and gathered 16 groundballs as Miller notched four groundballs and an assist. Junior Andrew Johnson (Dover, Mass.) posted three groundballs while graduate student Eric Pence (Portland, Ore.) generated two caused turnovers. In net, senior Lukas Drexler-Bruce (Denver, Colo.) tallied 18 saves, three groundballs, and a caused turnover.
 
- Walker, Jack Collins, and Dom Mirack each notched three groundballs while Lukas Peregoy had two caused turnovers. In net, Samuel Stephenson amassed 25 saves.
 
- This was the third meeting between both programs and the first victory for the Engineers.
 
UP NEXT:
 
- Both teams will take on conference opponents in their next outings on Saturday, April 9. MIT will travel to NEWMAC rival Wheaton College for a 4:00 p.m. game while Merchant Marine will host SUNY Maritime in its Skyline Conference opener at 12:00 p.m.
 
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