Ethan Magoc photo: Men’s lacrosse is looking to avenge one of their two losses with a first round match-up against top-ranked C.W. Post. The Lakers first round game will be on May 21 in Brookville, NY.The Mercyhurst men’s lacrosse team earned a No. 3 spot at the NCAA Division II Tournament after they defeated Dominican 13-5. The Lakers are one of four teams selected to enter the semifinal round.

The Lakers earned the at-large bid after finishing the regular season with a 12-2 record. The team finished in second place in the conference behind top-ranked C.W. Post, the team the Lakers are matched with for the first round of the playoffs.

Junior Ian Wild, who scored three goals against the Dominican defense, commented on earning a spot in the final four.

“It will be tough. C.W. Post has a good defense, so we all have to be on our game and take care of our own individual responsibilities.”

Wild has been one of many bright spots this season. Coming off of a medical red-shirt season from a football injury, Wild has started 10 of the 14 games and scored 14 goals.

Junior Gregory Bensman has been hard at work trying to find weak spots in order to prepare himself for the upcoming opponent.

“I go over my scouting report so I know the opponents strengths and weaknesses. They have really good players, and I know that I have to position myself just right in order to make plays,” Bensman said

The Lakers know exactly what they are up against, but they remain confident in their ability to win. “I am looking to get some revenge,” Wild said.

“We all know we could have played better the last time we played (C.W. Post). We were all being selfish and taking careless shots. We will be ready to go out and win,” Bensman said.
Bensman also explained how his mind set would filter into success.

“We have been pretty confident in our play. Our defense is doing a good job this year. We haven’t let any team score more that eight or nine points on us.”

The Lakers have not made it back to this tournament since 2007, and the team has shown extreme dedication to get there.

“We work, weight train and condition all year to prepare for the season,” Bensman said. “Our goal has always been to win our league, and we all need to have a great team effort to do that. Everyone on the team is ready and willing to work hard and win games.”

The Lakers will travel to Brookville, N.Y., to face C.W. Post on May 21.

If the Lakers secure a victory over C.W. Post, they will travel to Baltimore to compete for a national championship.