Statesmen Blow by Braves in Season Opener 29-0
Ottawa, Kan.–It was evident from the first sequence of the game that it was going to be a good day for the William Penn men’s lacrosse team as it blanked Ottawa 29-0 in non-conference action to start the 2026 campaign Monday.
The shutout is the first for WPU (1-0) since beating Midland 26-0 on March 26, 2025; it is the program’s fourth shutout all-time. It also marks the largest margin of victory in a shutout for the navy and gold.
After the visitors won the opening faceoff, Harley Williams (Sr., Edmonton, Alberta, Political Science) made his presence felt immediately by sprinting down the field virtually unopposed and scoring less than 10 seconds into action. The rout was on from there.
Kenny Bohney (Sr., Moorhead, Minn., Exercise Science) also scored in the first minute, while six different Statesmen recorded a tally in the first quarter as William Penn rolled out to a 14-0 advantage after 15 minutes of play. Williams had six of those goals, while Everett Breniser (So., Centennial, Colo., Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management) was good for three.
The navy and gold refused to let up in the second stanza, putting another 10 shots past the Ottawa goalkeeper. Matt Scott (Fr., Denver, Colo., Sports Management) and Cage Fontana (So., Colorado Springs, Colo., Business Management) both notched a pair of scores in the second.
The Statesmen offense cooled in the second half with just five more goals being scored in the third. The coaches agreed to a shorter fourth period (10 minutes) and neither side found the netting to close out the matchup.
WPU dominated in all facets, including posting a 54-8 edge in shots (29-1 in the first quarter). The victors also won 26 of the 33 faceoffs, while committing only 15 turnovers against the 36 giveaways by OU. Of the 26 faceoff victories, Bryce Campbell (Sr., Meridian, Idaho, Kinesiology) had 13 (out of 15) and Carter Holden (Fr., Idaho Falls, Idaho, Computer Science) tallied 10 (out of 13).
The Statesmen cleared the ball out of their zone in 11 out of 14 chances, while the Braves were held to a 2-for-5 showing. Hustle plays were also on display as the visiting crew managed a 53-18 edge in ground balls.
A total of 11 WPU players scored in the game with Williams leading the charge with nine in addition to one assist. Scott was next with four, while Breniser and Isaac Heitschmidt (Fr., Oregon City, Ore., Industrial Technology) had three. The trio of Bohney, Fontana, and Nate Levy (So., Lynwood, Wash., Biology) were good for two scores each as well.
Garrett Katrana (So., Parker, Colo., Industrial Technology) did not record a goal, but showed sharing is caring by posting seven assists. Bohney also distributed the ball well with five helpers.
Defensively, Holden scooped up 10 ground balls, while Levy (4) and Drew Swanson (Fr., West Des Moines, Iowa, Industrial Technology) (3) both produced multiple caused turnovers.
“Our guys did a good job of executing and accomplishing the majority of our goals,” Head Coach Luke Christiansen said. “There is not much more we could have asked of them in this situation. We have a few things to clean up, but we are excited to get ready for some big non-conference games in the coming weeks.”
Next Up: William Penn travels to Memphis, Tenn. on Friday, February 27 to face Webber International in a neutral-site game at 7 p.m.
