Second Round Recap
-- Story provided by Hope College Athletics --
The Hope College men's lacrosse team valiantly competed to keep its breakthrough season going against one of the nation's highest-scoring teams.
The Flying Dutchmen played even with Illinois Wesleyan University outside of a six-minute stretch in the second quarter on Saturday. The Titans used a four-goal run to take control and held on for an 18-14 victory in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Hope finished its longest postseason run with a 13-2 overall record.
"I thought we really flew around the field, which we thought we would need to compete against Illinois Wesleyan. They take flying around the field to another level," head coach Michael Schanhals said. "Credit for them winning today; a lot of respect for what they're doing. A ton of respect for my guys too for battling the way they did. I couldn't be more proud of them."
Illinois Wesleyan (15-1) entered the weekend ranked fifth in the nation in scoring at 20.57 goals per game. On Friday, the Titans scored 30 goals during their first-round victory against the University of Northwestern (Minnesota).
On Saturday, Illinois Wesleyan had 12 different goal scorers, with no one recording more than three times.
The score was tied at 5-5 with 11 minutes remaining in the second quarter after junior Andrew Conlon (East Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids HS) scored his first goal of the season for the Flying Dutchmen.
Illinois Wesleyan answered 46 seconds later with a man-up goal that began a string of four consecutive goals from four different Titans over the next six minutes. Freshman attacker Michael Mann of Plymouth, Michigan (Detroit Jesuit) snapped Hope's scoreless stretch at the 4:01 mark with the first of his two goals.
The Flying Dutchmen recorded the final two goals of the half to trail 11-8 but never could get closer than three goals.
Illinois Wesleyan limited Hope's leading scorer Jack Radzville to one goal and two assists for the game — one day after his 11-point first-round performance against Benedictine University (Illinois).
"My hats off to the IWU defense. I think they did a good job of adjusting," senior co-captain Luke Elder said. "We had to do different things and move things around. Defensively, they played a great game. We did what we could."
Elder, pictured right, topped the Flying Dutchmen with three goals. The attacker from Grand Rapids, Michigan (East Grand Rapids) finished with a career-high 63 goals for the season — the second-most in team history.
Four of Elder's teammates chipped in two goals apiece: Conlon, Mann, junior Brian Bera (Rockford, Michigan / Rockford), and junior Zach Wiggins (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Mattawan).
For the season, Radzville ended up with a Hope-record 104 points with 56 goals and 48 assists. The junior attacker from Howell, Michigan (Howell) is Hope's first 100-point scorer in a single season.
The 48 assists are a Flying Dutchmen record and 13 more than any other Flying Dutchmen. The 56 goals are the third-most in school history.
Despite the end to the season, the Flying Dutchmen still enjoyed the weekend, Wiggins said.
"You get a sense for what this weekend is and a drive to continue," Wiggins said. "This is my first full season on the team; it's just absolutely spectacular. There's no better feeling, especially in a year of COVID where we haven't been able to do overnight visits. To be here as a team on another team's campus and playing two games has been absolutely amazing."
First Round Recap
-- Story provided by Hope College Athletics --
Jack Radzville's skillful game sparked a breakthrough victory for the Hope College men's lacrosse team. The junior made a little history for himself in the process, too.
Led by their high-scoring attacker, the Flying Dutchmen defeated Benedictine University (Illinois), 22-17, on Friday in Bloomington, Illinois for their first NCAA Division III Tournament victory.
Hope (13-1 overall) advanced to play host Illinois Wesleyan University in the second round on Saturday, May 15 at 2 p.m. Central. Illinois Wesleyan (14-1) was a 30-8, first-round winner vs. the University of Northwestern (Minnesota) in Friday's first game.
This is Hope's second postseason appearance and first since an overtime first-round loss in 2019. Head coach Michael Schanhals, a former club player, oversaw the Flying Dutchmen's transition from club to varsity 10 years ago and directed their rise into a national-caliber program.
"They have worked tremendously hard to get us to this point," said Schanhals, who was joined by co-captains Luke Elder, Jack Radzville and Tucker Martinez in the postgame press conference. "I could not be more proud of them. There are guys who played in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and on who are fired up about this victory. This is for you all."
Against Benedictine, Radzville, pictured right, finished with a game-high 11 points on six goals and five assists. The attacker from Howell, Michigan / Howell HS upped his season total to 101 points and became the first member of the Flying Dutchmen to reach the century mark within a single season.
Radzville had a hand in six of Hope's first seven goals of the game, which was the team's second postseason appearance. First, he scored three times in the first six minutes to give the Flying Dutchmen a 3-2 lead.
After Benedictine (13-3) struck twice over the 1:44 to take back the lead, Radzville set up teammates Luke Elder, Michael Mann, and Colton Warren for goals. The Flying Dutchmen charged ahead for good by the end of the first quarter at 7-3.\
"It helped us get our momentum going," Radzville said of scoring early. "It gets us pumped up. Our defense always plays good after that."
Hope kept on the attack and seven more times in a row before Benedictine ended the 11-goal run with 2:47 remaining in the half.
Radzville scored three times during the decisive second quarter.
"When they get they get the offense flowing, it makes it so much easier for our defense," junior defender and co-captain Tucker Martinez said. "We're playing very little defense, so on our communication and our slide, we're locking in."
The Flying Dutchmen reached the 20-goal mark for the seventh time this season. Hope is averaging 18.71 goals per game this season.
Elder (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Grand Rapids), pictured left, led the Flying Dutchmen with six goals. The senior attacker now has 60 goals this season, the second-most all-time in team history to the 64 goals from Gunnar Elder (no relation) totaled in 2016.
Midfielder Zach Wiggins (Kalamazoo, Michigan / Mattawan) matched his season-high with three goals.
