SELINSGROVE, PA (February 22, 2020) -- Junior attack Gabe Vansuch scored the first and last goals of the game Saturday, with his third of the game coming with 54 seconds to play to lift the King's College men's lacrosse team to a season-opening, come-from-behind win over Susquehanna University from Sassafras Field. 

The Monarchs trailed 8-6 going into the fourth quarter, and quickly fell behind 9-6 after Michael Hatala's third goal of the game. After that, King's (1-0) started its charge thanks to Alec Martin's third goal of the game with 13:32 to go in regulation. 

Junior Michael O'Brien tallied a man-up goal minutes later off a nice feed from Zach Anderson with just under 10 minutes left to pull to within one at 9-8. King's would kill off a minute penalty over the next two minutes, keeping the Susquehanna lead at one. With 4:35 remaining freshman Jackson Campbell made a big save, followed by a successful clear which led to an extended possession ending in Martin's fourth of the day to tie the game at nine. 

King's got the ball back with just under 90 seconds to play, and junior Trevor Douenias fed Vansuch who scored to put the Monarchs up for the first time since 4-3. The River Hawks (0-3) won the next face-off, and on the last possession of the game Victor Simone had his off-angled shot saved by Campbell to clinch the win. 

The two teams exchanged goals early in the game before Susquehanna took its first lead at 5-4 thanks to a goal from Sean Carothers, an edge it would take into the halftime break. In the third, SU gained the first two-goal lead of the game at 6-4, but the Monarchs responded with two scores thanks to goals from Martin and freshman Nolan Reape to dead lock the game. 

Moments later though, the River Hawks got goals from Hatala and Carothers right before the end of the third to set up the big fourth quarter and finish from King's. 

Martin finished with a big performance for the Monarchs, posting four goals and two assists on nine shots. Vansuch finished with three goals on six shots, while Reape and Anderson each registered a goal and assist. 

Douenias also posted a team-high seven ground balls in addition to his help on the game-winner, and sophomore Ryan Candelori posted five loose ball pickups along with one caused turnover. Senior Jacob Wrede led the Monarchs with three caused turnovers and three ground balls, and Reape also posted four ground balls.

Defenders August Axtman and Tyler Sindel each added two ground balls and a caused turnover each. Campbell finished with 13 saves in his first collegiate start, including stopping nine in the third and fourth quarters. KC won the ground ball count 35-30, while holding Susquehanna without an EMO goal in four chances. 

Hatala and Carothers each finished with three goals to pace the River Hawks, while Tyler Gross finished with 14 stops in net for SU. 

King's is back in action on Wednesday, February 26 at 4 p.m., opening its 2020 home schedule with a contest against Immaculata University in McCarthy Stadium.