Junior midfielder Mitch Pawlanta tallied three goals and two assists in the Trojans' 8–4 victory over Wisconsin. Photo by Josh Adams NORTHBROOK, ILL. – The Trojans split a pair of games against Wisconsin Saturday afternoon in Northbrook, Illinois.
Originally scheduled to play at Northwestern University, the games were moved to a complex in Northbrook due to inclement weather. The switch provided turf fields and an opportunity for the Trojans to earn their first win of the season. In game one, the Trojans came out of the gates slow. Poor passing, defense and tempo hampered the Trojans from getting in a rhythm. Freshman midfielder Luke Borchelt scored the only goal of the game for the Trojans in the second half. After the final whistle, the scoreboard read 11–1 in favor of the Badgers. “We had the energy but did not direct it to the field and it hurt us throughout the game,” said sophomore midfielder Rowen Walton. “We made mistakes, didn't connect our passes and couldn't find the shots on net.” The Trojans refocused after game one, having a better idea of what to expect for game two. The sporadic weather and level of competition were no longer an unknown factor. The focus translated into execution from the opening whistle, with the Trojans scoring two goals early in the first half. “We came out with a new energy that I haven't seen from Taylor lacrosse since I've been here,” said junior midfielder Mitch Pawlanta. “The team played physical, fast and controlled. This was the first time that we played a complete game and didn't take our foot off the gas. A very complete game overall.” Pawlanta led the charge for the Trojans, tallying a hat trick and two assists as well as forcing many turnovers. Freshman attackman Josiah Peterson also tallied three goals, while Borchelt and senior attackman AJ Ablog each added a goal to round out the scoring. Another high point of the game was the contributions from freshmen Nate Meyer and Devin May. Meyer provided sound defense, constantly causing havoc and forcing turnovers. May picked up a ground ball and secured possession near the end of the game, the final nail in the Badgers’ coffin. “We had a huge contribution from our new guys,” Pawlanta said. “They came out prepared and stepped into rolls that needed to be filled.” When the final whistle was blown, the Trojans had earned their first victory of the season, defeating the Badgers 8–4. “I was super proud of the guys making the necessary adjustments after the first game to step it up and get a win right after that,” said junior attackman Thomas Oster. The Trojans return to action Saturday when they travel to Wheaton, Illinois to play Dordt and Wheaton.
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