D3 lacrosse – George Fox suffers a 22-3 defeat at the hands of Stevens Institute of Technology on May 10

EWING, New Jersey — George Fox’s season came to an end in the first round of the D3 national tournament after suffering a 22-3 beatdown at the hands of Stevens Institute of Technology.

Stevens got off to a hot start in the first quarter, scoring three goals in five minutes. The Bruins somewhat returned the favor when freshman attacker Merrick Gibson found senior attacker Morgan Maxfield wide open on the right side of the net, scoring to decrease the deficit to 3-1.

The Ducks negated the Bruin score immediately after, though, then added on fifth and sixth goals in the ensuing few minutes.

The Bruins found themselves with a chance to score following a key save by Myah Pack, but couldn’t convert after Naomi Rauch’s shot was denied by the keeper.

Stevens launched into its transition offense, scoring a seventh goal with mere seconds remaining in the quarter. Eight seconds later, the team scored again, securing the draw and taking the ball directly to the net. Pack recorded yet another save as time expired in the quarter, but by that time the Bruins were down 8-1.

The Ducks opened the second quarter with a goal three minutes in, finding a cutter in front of the net to extend the lead to eight. The Ducks went on to score three goals in under three minutes, winning each draw control and scoring immediately on the offensive possession.

Two minutes later, following a turnover by sophomore defender Stela Flores, the Ducks scored another goal in transition. Four more balls found the back of the net for the Ducks in the second quarter, giving them a halftime lead of 17-1.

After halftime, the Ducks’ offense slowed somewhat, but they still put up another goal to lengthen the lead to 18-1.

The Bruins earned their second goal of the game late in the quarter via a defensive turnover as Maxfield found Gibson open. Following a save by Pack, the Bruins’ transition offense struck again as Maxfield notched an assist after slotting a pass to sophomore midfielder Claire Abraham to make the score 18-3. The Ducks rounded out their scoring with a goal as time expired, but the Bruins split the third quarter 2-2.

The teams exchanged quality looks in the fourth quarter, with the Ducks connecting on two more goals, while the Bruins couldn’t find the back of the net for the remainder of the game.

“We had a well-fought season,” Bruins head coach Jordyn Merkel said. “It’s sad that it’s come to an end, but the seniors definitely left a legacy.”

Simon Luedtke is a writer in the George Fox sports information department