Firebirds Battle Hard but Fall to Chargers in Home Match Up

Washington, D.C. – The University of the District of Columbia men's lacrosse team put up a strong fight but ultimately fell to Dominican (N.Y.) 14-8, at the UDC Turf Field. The Firebirds started off with a competitive first half but struggled to maintain momentum against a determined Dominican squad.

The opening quarter set the tone for an exciting matchup as both teams exchanged early goals. UDC's Julian Schemm got the Firebirds on the board with an assist from Jahi Guise, and shortly after, Schemm found the net again off a setup from Dylan Donaldson. The back-and-forth battle continued, with Maxwell Hansberry netting two crucial first-quarter goals to keep UDC level at 4-4 heading into the second quarter.

UDC took an early lead in the second quarter with a goal from Najuane Phillpotts assisted by Schemm, but Dominican responded before halftime, evening the score at 5-5.

The third quarter proved to be a challenging period for the Firebirds, as Dominican outscored them 3-0, creating an 8-5 deficit. Despite a fourth-quarter effort from Hansberr who scored two more goals, Dominican pulled away with a strong offensive push in the final minutes to secure the 14-8 win.

Key performances

• Maxwell Hansberry recorded a team-high four goals, showing great efficiency in front of the net.
• Julian Schemm posted a hat trick and two assists.
• Najuane Phillpotts added one goal, while Joshua Copeland, Aiden O'Brien, and Jahi Guise each tallied an assist.
• Patrick Nyarko had team-highs of four caused turnovers and five ground balls
• Goalkeeper Israel Amajioyi made 15 saves on 29 shots on goal, keeping UDC in the game.

Team Statistics

• Shots on Goal: Dominican (29), UDC (20)
• Ground Balls: Dominican (38), UDC (32)
• Face-Off Wins: Dominican (14), UDC (11)
• Turnovers: Dominican (16), UDC (24)

UDC (0-3) will head to Holy Family on Sunday for a noon tip-off.