FOND DU LAC, Wis.  — The Carthage College men's lacrosse team kicked off the 2023 campaign with a non-conference 25-11 win over Marian (Wis.) Sunday afternoon. 

• Final score: Carthage 25 - Marian (Wis.) 11
• Location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin - Smith Field
• Records: Carthage 1-0, Marian (Wis.) 0-1

 
 

• The Firebirds got on the board first with a goal from Alec Gern and two from Andrew Johnson. 
• After Marian (Wis.) scored, two goals from George Burchfield and Jake Westland moved the Carthage advantage to 5-1. 
• Both teams traded goals heading to the second quarter.  
• Goals from Burchfield, Gern, Johnny Lane, and Andrew Frey extended the gap to 11-4. 
• Corbin Van Duyne got in the score column with a goal as the Firebirds went ahead by eight. 
• Although the Sabres scored two, William Clemens tallied a goal with 1:27 left until halftime. 
• In the third, the offensive barrage continued as Johnson registered back-to-back goals. 
• Though Marian (Wis.) retaliated with two goals, Johnson scored his fifth goal, and Bryce Peake recorded his first for a 17-8 score. 
• Carthage headed to the final quarter of play ahead by 10. 
• The Firebirds added six goals in the fourth, winning 25-11.

• 10 Different Firebirds registered a goal in the season opener: Andrew Johnson (7), Alec Gern (5), George Burchfield (3), Jake Westland (2), William Clemens (2), Andrew Frey (2), Corbin Van Duyne (1) Bryce Peake (1), Johnny Lane (1), Timmy Martino Jr. (1). 
• The seven goals from Johnson, named to the Inside Lacrosse Preseason Honorable Mention All-American list, is tied for fourth for most goals in a single game. 
• Burchfield and Frey led the Firebirds in assists with three, while Johnson had nine shots on goal on the day.  
• Sophomore Hayden Jones recorded a team-best five saves in goal for Carthage.
• The Firebird offense tallied 45 shots on goal and 66 total shots, which is tied for 10th in the record books for most team shots in a single game.

 


"The offense was great today and firing well," commented head coach David Neff. "We could have been a little sharper early in taking care of the ball better, but the looks were there today. Anytime you can put up 25 goals and have the assist ratio we had, it's a good day. That's a credit to the guys sharing the ball and Coach Matt Torrence for having them ready.  Defensively we need to be much better, and in general, we need to have more discipline and fewer mental mistakes. That's all on me, and we will have to get to work on fixing things. Andrew Johnson played like an All-American today, and it was a special day for him."


 

• Carthage stays on the road traveling to Alma on Saturday, February 25 at 1 p.m.