ROMEOVILLE, Ill. -- The (4) Lewis University men's lacrosse team won, 11-10, in comeback fashion against (5) Maryville in the first round of the NCAA II Tournament Wednesday (May 8). It was the Flyers' first-ever NCAA Tournament game and tourney victory.

TEAM RECORDS
No. 11 Lewis 14-4 | No. 13 Maryville 13-5

LEWIS LEADERS
Goals: Evan Clement (San Diego, California/Mt. Carmel HS / CCBC-Essex) (3), Kevin Blaz (McHenry, Illinois/Marian Central Catholic HS) (2), Malikye Good (Windsor, Ontario, Canada/St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic HS) (2)
Assists: Four tied with 1
Ground Balls: Tyler Davis (Edina, Minnesota/Edina HS) (3), Riah Rathe (Chanhassen, Minnesota/Chanhassen HS) (3)
Saves: Riah Rathe (Chanhassen, Minnesota/Chanhassen HS) (23)

GAME SUMMARY
FIRST QUARTER: Lewis 3, Maryville 3
Maryville struck first with a pair of goals. Lewis responded with two goals to tie it at 2-2.

First, Clement scored off of an assist from Mark Crowley (Crystal Lake, Illinois/Crystal Lake Central HS), then Good scored with the Flyers on a man advantage opportunity. The Saints scored again, but Lewis once again had the equalizer before the end of the first quarter.

Nate McLean (Crystal Lake, Illinois/Crystal Lake Central HS) scored an unassisted goal just after Lewis killed a penalty to make it 3-3 after the opening frame. Rathe made six saves in the quarter.

SECOND QUARTER: Maryville 4, Lewis 1
Neither team could score for the first eight minutes in the second before Maryville broke through with a goal with 6:30 left in the first half. The Saints scored two more goals to bring the lead to 6-3.

Kevin Blaz (McHenry, Illinois/Marian Central Catholic HS) scored a shorthanded goal for the Flyers with 40 seconds remaining to make it 6-4. Maryville responded with a score just 15 seconds later to bring its lead to 7-4 at halftime.

Rathe added four stops in the second quarter to help keep Lewis close.

THIRD QUARTER: Lewis 4, Maryville 2
The Flyers scored quickly in the third quarter as Good scored off of an assist from Drew Andre (Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, Canada/Pitt Meadows Secondary School), but the Saints responded in the opening minute to make it 8-5. Lewis punched back with three straight goals to tie it.

Blaz struck again at the 12:33 mark to get Lewis within two again. Then, with the Flyers a man up, Paul Ruskoski (Tulsa, Oklahoma/Bishop Kelley HS) scored off of an assist from Good.

Clement added an unassisted goal for the 8-8 tie with 7:29 left in the third. Maryville then scored to regain the lead at 9-8. Rathe made two more saves in the third period as Lewis closed the deficit.

FOURTH QUARTER: Lewis 3, Maryville 1
The Flyers struck first in the final frame as Clement scored in the opening minute to tie the score at nine. Both defenses clamped down from there until Nolan Dalep (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada/Claremont Secondary School) scored to give Lewis its first lead of the game at 10-9 with 4:30 remaining.

Just 26 seconds later, Baden Boyenko (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada/St. Joseph HS / Genesee Community College) scored off of a pass from Clement to make it 11-9 Flyers. The Saints scored with 20 seconds remaining to make it 11-10, and Rathe made a save in the closing seconds to seal the victory.

Rathe made 11 saves in the fourth to set a new program record for saves in a game with 23.

FINAL SCORE: Lewis 11, Maryville 10

UP NEXT
Lewis men's lacrosse will advance to the second round of the NCAA DII Tournament and head to Tampa, Fla. to play the University of Tampa Sunday (May 12) at 12 p.m. CT.