JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Saint Leo traveled across the state to take on No. 20 Colorado Mesa at Selman Field, and came up short in the season opener 16-8 Saturday.
 
Tyler Eames paced Saint Leo on the day with three goals for his three points to open his sophomore campaign. Ryan Marek notched two goals while Philip Buque, Peyton Tyson and Ethan Ticehurst each found the back of the net on opening day.
 
In goal, Ian Areford played all 60 minutes and racked up 16 saves between the pipes for the Green and Gold Saturday.
 
Records:
#20 Colorado Mesa 2-0
Saint Leo 0-1
 
Ethan Ticehurst started the year off with a goal for the Green and Gold with 14:43 on the clock before the Mavericks scored four unanswered to end the first quarter. Back-to-back goals from Ryan Marek and Tyler Eames brought the Lions within one but Colorado Mesa closed the half outscoring Saint Leo 4-1 for an 8-4 advantage at the break.
 
The Lions used a 3-2 third quarter to close the gap to just three goals, 10-7 before heading to the final period of play. Peyton Tyson scored the lone Green and Gold in the final stanza as Colorado Mesa went on for the 16-8 win.
 
Up Next
Saint Leo will continue road action, traveling to Huntsville, Ala. on Feb. 15 for a matchup with the Chargers of Alabama-Huntsville for a 1 p.m. start.
 
For more information on the Saint Leo men's lacrosse program, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.