KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Adams State University men's lacrosse team had a rough week in Missouri this weekend, losing three games in the process. Things started out tough with a scheduling conflict that moved the game against Maryville forward, resulting in a 5-8 loss. The next was one of the best games Adams State has played against a ranked opponent, falling short against No.19-ranked Lindenwood by a score of 8-10, and finally the trip ended with a conference loss to Rockhurst University by a score of 12-2.
 
Game one of the road trip was against Maryville University, which had construction holdups on the normal field causing the teams to look elsewhere to play. The final proposed time of 2 p.m. at a school in St. Louis made a difficult travel day and playing situation that showed on the field. The Grizzlies played tough the first quarter, but let up four goals in the second before Jacob Austin and Kage Janes put two in the back of the net in the final minute of the half.
 
Out of half the team surged, scoring two by ways of Collin Cranfield in a man-up situation from Austin, then by Kale Wilson to notch the game at four apiece. Maryville would score in the final minute of the quarter to retake the lead, then once again early in the fourth. Wilson found the net once again to bring it to a one goal game, but two goals in the final minute put the nail in the coffin on the comeback attempt.
 
The two teams were virtually identical on the stat sheet, each with 25 ground balls, 18 clears, 10-11 saves, 18-17 turnovers and 29-31 shots. The only real difference came in faceoffs, where the team let up 10 while winning only six.
 
Against Lindenwood, the Grizzlies let up an early goal in the first and two more in the final minutes of the quarter. This wouldn't be the settling factor, as the team roared into the second quarter scoring five unanswered. JD Van Arsdall found the net first, then Janes got a man-up goal to make it a one goal game. Van Arsdall would score again to tie the game with 10 minutes left in the second. Morgan Osbourne then found an open Danny Krieble for the go-ahead goal, and Austin put in another to extend the lead to two. Unfortunately, Lindenwood's Sam Heaton went on a tear in the final two minutes, putting in two goals to tie the game while Colin Domek retook the lead with 11 second left in the half.
 
In the second half, the Grizzlies traded goals one after another with the ranked opponent, always keeping it a two or one score game. Osbourne, Krieble and Cranfield all scored, but Sean Darroch of Lindenwood scored a goal in the final minute to keep the game far enough from an overtime.
 
The Grizzlies were outshot by 15, but 11 saves from Connor Johnson kept the game in check. This time faceoffs went in favor of the Grizzlies, who won 14 and lost only seven. Man-up opportunities ended up being the downfall, as the team had six and only capitalized once.
 
In the final game of the trip, Cranfield put the Grizzlies up early in the first, but Rockhurst would fire seven in unanswered. Alex Brydson picked up a goal in the third from Janes, but it was too-little, too-late as Rockhurst dominated the fourth with six goals.
 
The Grizzlies were dominated on shots, allowing 52 while putting up only 19. This included 32 on goals, while Adams had only nine. Turnovers were haunting, as the Grizzlies had 34 while converting just 11-of-23 on clears. Neither team could capitalize on man-up opportunities, as each team scored only once with more than five tries.
 
Despite this, Johnson came in and made 19 saves to help the team out.