Gjerset nets hat-trick in loss

NEW LONDON, Conn.  – The Wheaton College men's lacrosse team lost to Connecticut College, ranked No. 6 in the latest New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) poll, by a score of 15-6 in non-conference action Tuesday afternoon. 

Freshman midfielder Ryan Gjerset (Austin, Texas/St. Michael's Catholic Academy) paced the Lyons in the loss with a hat-trick, while senior captain Colby Shields (Yarmouth, Maine/Yarmouth) recorded one goal and one assist. Freshman attack Barrett Jenness (Edmonds, Wash./The Overlake School) matched Shields with one goal and one assist and sophomore Kyle Rumberger (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) also found the back of the net once. 

Connecticut College received hat-tricks from juniors Derek Bertolini (Madison, Conn./Choate Rosemary Hall) and Tyler Hegarty (Setauket, N.Y./Ward Melville HS). Sophomore goalkeeper Bobby Bleistein (Oyster Bay, N.Y./Locust Valley) picked up his third win between the pipes by deflecting five of seven shots. 

Wheaton senior Harrison Bramhall (Barrington, R.I./Trinity Pawling) and sophomore Ryan Clair (Bloomfield, Mich./Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School) combined for 17 saves. 

The Camels scooped up 40 ground balls and converted on their only man-up opportunity in the third period when senior Thomas Woessner (Old Lyme, Conn./Sacred Heart University) fired home a pass from classmate JR Hartgers (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Ramapo HS). 

Wheaton won 11 of its 24 face-offs and finished with 26 shots, including 13 in the final frame. The Lyons also converted 15-of-21 clears, compiled 21 ground balls and recorded five caused turnovers, highlighted by junior defensemen Alfonse Femino (Malden, Mass./Malden) who had two on the afternoon. 

Connecticut College jumped out to a 3-0 lead, thanks to a pair of tallies by Hegarty before Jenness halted the run with a goal at 3:51. The Camels responded with four-goals, but the Lyons quickly answered with a man-up tally by Gjerset at 1:05 in the second period, which brought the visitors within five goals at the break. 

The Camels netted seven goals in the third period to push their lead to 14-2 after 45 minutes of play. The Lyons recorded the game's final four strikes as Gjerset sparked the run with his second goal at 11:55 in the fourth. 

Wheaton (2-3) will attempt to snap its three-game skid when it travels to Ursinus on Saturday, March 15 for a 1 p.m. face-off. Connecticut College (3-1) is also in action on Saturday as the Camels as they'll host Williams College in Keene New Hampshire at1 p.m.

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