The men’s lacrosse team wins both this past weekend thanks to great second half play.

DU took on the Butler Bulldogs on Friday and while the game seemed close in the beginning, the men came out firing in the third quarter and opened up the game.

Freshman Adam Miller opened the scoring two minutes into the first and just under four minutes later, Andrew Huelskoetter netted another for the Pioneers. The Bulldogs got back into the game in the second while scoring three goals in just under three minutes to tie the game with seven minutes left in the half. However, the Pioneers would enter the locker room on a good note as Adam Swain put one in to give the men a one-goal lead at the half.

The second half belonged to the Pioneers as they opened up the game in the third when Huelskoetter, Sasaki-Scanlon, and Brown each scored one while shutting out the Bulldogs in the quarter. The Bulldogs tried to make it interesting in the fourth, but were no match for DU as Swain, Snider and Swanson each scored to take the victory.

The Pioneers out shot the Bulldogs 42-25 and picked up 10 more ground balls while Pioneer goalie Jeff Nunziato was a wall in the second half.

Sunday’s game against 14th ranked Ohio State would prove to be a much tougher bought, but the Pioneers came through playing some of the best lacrosse of their season and taking a one-goal victory.

The Buckeyes came out strong with two quick goals, but with three minutes left in the quarter Mike Kenlay tied the game. OSU took the lead again early in the second, but DU quickly answered with three goals of their own to take a 5-3 lead into the locker room.

Neither team was able to generate much offence in the third as both defences were stellar, but each team managed one. The Buckeyes scored quickly in the fourth, but Mike Petrucci answered three minutes later with a break-a-way goal. OSU scored with seven minutes left in the game, but DU was able to run out the clock and not allow OSU to score again.

The men were jumping all over each other at the end of the game in celebration. This is easily their biggest win of the year and with only three games left before the playoffs, they have good reason to look forward to doing well.

The Pioneers are 2-1 in Great West Lacrosse League play thanks to the wins this weekend. They will head out east for two games, one against Fairfield and one against fourth ranked Virginia before returning home to face off against Air Force at Pioneer Field on May 3.