FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (March 4, 2017) – Sophomore goalkeeper Matt Horton (Emmaus, Pa.) made a career-high 18 saves, but it wasn't enough, as the Widener University men's lacrosse team fell to Mary Washington by a 12-9 score at the Battleground on Saturday afternoon.
 
The first quarter was an offensive struggle with both teams battling unseasonably cold conditions. Mary Washington drew first blood when Miles Davis netted a goal at the 7:59 mark, but Widener had a quick answer just 57 seconds later when junior Shane Cook (Lincoln, Pa.) found classmate Chris Drake (Morristown, N.J.) to even the score on the team's first shot attempt of the game. Sophomore Drew Amsley (Carlisle, Pa.) later broke a 3-3 tie by notching an unassisted marker, and the Pride carried a 4-3 lead into the recess.
 
The teams continued to play a game of nip and tuck throughout the second half. There were three lead changes, and neither side led by more than a goal until Mary Washington's Davis capped a streak of four unanswered tallies by netting his second straight marker to make it 9-7 with 5:43 remaining in regulation.
 
Widener was able to slice the lead in half when freshman Paz Gismondi (West Deptford, N.J.) zinged the strings at 5:09, but that was as close as the visitors would come the rest of the way. The Eagle defense only allowed the visitors to attempt two more shots, and Mike Marson factored into a trio of goals down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
 
Marson and Davis registered five points apiece to pace the offense for Mary Washington (2-3), which had a 45-29 advantage in total shots and a 13-12 edge in faceoff wins. Marson posted four goals and one assist, while Davis finished with three goals and two helpers. Davis also scooped up 12 ground balls. Goalkeeper Sam Wasson turned away 15 shots to pick up the victory between the pipes.
 
Horton led the way for Widener by registering a career-high 18 saves, which eclipsed his previous best mark of 16 stops he contributed against nationally-ranked Gettysburg and Stevenson last season. Drake added four goals and one assist on the offensive end.
 
Widener (1-2) returns home to face Dickinson on Saturday, March 11 at 1:00 p.m.