Pacer Leads Defensive Masterclass to Fuel Win in Home Finale

Broadcast Highlights

UPLAND, Ind. – Fueled by its defense, the Taylor men's lacrosse team dominated the middle portions of Wednesday's home finale versus Michigan-Dearborn to grab a 10-7 win that secured the Trojans' first winning record at home (4-2) since the program's inaugural 2019 season.

Lucas Pacer was active in all four quarters to spearhead TU's aggressive defense with a career-high eight ground balls and a matching season-high of three caused turnovers. In the goal, Ben Harrell also anchored Taylor's third-best performance of the season in terms of goals allowed with his 17 saves and a 70.8 save percentage. Those figures marked the freshman's second-highest numbers in his career.

UM-Dearborn (4-9, 2-5 WHAC) scored the game's first goal, but Caleb Williams had back-to-back scores assisted by Jaydon Boyer and Aidan Craig to erase the deficit. The Wolverines answered almost immediately at the 6:40 mark of the opening quarter to tie it at 2-2.

Following 10-plus minutes of scoreless game time, Carter Prieditis ended the teams' offensive droughts at the 10:12 mark of the second quarter with a strike that put Taylor in front for good.

Less than two minutes later, Pacer caused a turnover and picked up the ground ball to continue TU's scoring run with 8:41 remaining in the first half. Will Saxby found the back of the net on Craig's third assist of the game during that possession, and Wyatt Marshall scored and then assisted on Jackson Dale's goal in the moments thereafter to provide Taylor a 6-2 halftime lead.

Two more scores from Marshall bookended the third period and completed the senior's sixth hat trick of his career as TU took an 8-3 advantage into the fourth frame.

Taylor milked the clock during its limited possessions in the final quarter, two of which ended in goals courtesy of Reid Gerig (assisted by Craig) and Craig himself to buoy the Trojan lead at 10-5 with seven minutes remaining. A pair of last-minute strikes from UMD cut into the lead, but they mattered little to the game's outcome.

TU's dominant defensive play was showcased during the second and third quarters, when the Trojans doubled up the Wolverines in groundballs, 22-11. In all, the home team led UM-Dearborn in that category, 39-35, and it won the turnover battle, 23-21.

Craig's four assists increased his season total to 65, well within reach of the WHAC's single season record of 68 assists.

Taylor (5-9, 2-5 WHAC) closes its regular season at sixth-ranked Concordia (10-3, 7-4) on Saturday at 4 p.m.