Over the last couple of weeks, the Blue and Gold have been playing fabulous lacrosse, winning four straight games. On April 27, the John Carroll men’s lacrosse team put their winning streak on the line against their Ohio Athletic Conference rivals the Ohio Northern Polar Bears, putting their season and five consecutive appearances in the OAC Tournament on the line as well.

The Blue Streaks offense was flying on all cylinders to start the game, scoring the first four goals in the opening quarter. The leading goal scorer for the Blue and Gold tone setting first quarter, was junior attackman Skyler Blake with his two goals.

In the second quarter of action, the Blue Streaks kept up the pressure, scoring six goals. Sophomore attackman Brendan Whitty made his mark in the second quarter, scoring one goal and notching two assists.

Heading into halftime, the Blue and Gold had a commanding 10-4 lead over the Polar Bears.

With JCU having the advantage coming into the second half of action, they did not rest on their laurels as they blitzed the Polar Bears with a 7-1 run. The Blue Streaks had multiple players contribute with junior midfielder Colin Corcoran and Sophomore attackmen Kevin Hack each scoring a goal.

After the Blue and Gold went on a third quarter run that put them ahead 17-5, the rest of the game was a forgone conclusion. The Blue Streaks won 18-10, extending their win streak to five games.

The star of the game was Blake, as he scored a team high seven goals on an efficient 11 shots. For his contributions, Blake was honored as OAC Player of the Week.

Sophomore attackman Brendan Whitty was also outstanding for the Blue and Gold, as he recorded a team high five assists.

As a team on the offensive end, JCU was the more aggressive team on offense, made evident by the recording of seven more shot attempts than Ohio Northern. The Blue and Gold’s aggressive offense would fuel their defense as they forced 19 turnovers.

Complementing a stellar defense as a team, JCU did not allow Ohio Northern to score more than two goals through the first three quarters. A big part of the Blue Streaks dominant defensive effort was the play of senior goalkeeper Jacob Betz, who recorded seven saves while playing the entire game.

Next on the slate, Blue and Gold will look to end their regular season on a high note as they travel Berea, Ohio, May 1 to play their OAC rivals the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets. The matchup will be a matchup of last year’s OAC Championship game, in which John Carroll won.