San Rafael, Calif. – The Adams State men's lacrosse team opened their 2025 campaign with a tough road battle against Dominican University of California on Thursday afternoon but came up short, falling 23-13 in their season and conference opener.
Despite a strong offensive showing from key playmakers, the Grizzlies (0-1, 0-1 RMAC) were unable to keep pace with the Penguins (1-5, 1-2 RMAC), who controlled the tempo from the start. Dominican capitalized on a dominant performance in the faceoff circle, winning 32 of 40 draws, which allowed them to sustain offensive pressure throughout the contest.
Adams State fought hard in the early going, responding to an early Dominican scoring run with back-to-back goals from Alex Wilderboer and Jacob Parsons in the first quarter. Wilderboer led the Grizzlies with a standout four-goal performance, while Parsons contributed two goals of his own.
Dominican, however, built a 7-3 lead after the opening 15 minutes and extended their advantage in the second quarter. Adams State battled back, scoring five goals in the frame, including two more from Wilderboer and a late tally from Malik Maxwell. Maxwell had a strong all-around game, finishing with three goals and two assists. Kegan Swain added two assists, helping set up Adams State's offensive attack.
At halftime, the Penguins held a 15-8 advantage.
The third quarter saw both teams tighten up defensively, but Adams State managed to capitalize on the power play. Danny Joy and Kris Owens each found the net with man-up goals, helping the Grizzlies stay within striking distance. Quincy MacDonald also added a goal in the third, cutting into the deficit.
However, Dominican's ability to dominate possession proved too much to overcome. The Penguins outshot Adams State 53-25 in the game and won the ground ball battle 54-24, which allowed them to dictate the pace and control the majority of offensive possessions.
In the fourth quarter, Adams State continued to fight, with Maxwell and Swain connecting again for a late goal, but Dominican answered with five goals in the final period to put the game out of reach
Goalie Ryan Berger was under constant pressure, facing 53 shots on the day. He finished with nine saves in a gritty performance between the pipes. Defensively, the Grizzlies forced 11 turnovers and successfully completed 10 of 14 clears but struggled to slow down Dominican's offensive attack.
While the season opener didn't go as planned, Adams State showed promise on the offensive end and will look to build on that performance as they continue RMAC play. The Grizzlies will face off against Concordia University Irvine on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT.
