Freshman Nate Emrick scored a goal with 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Muhlenberg men's lacrosse team a thrilling 9-8 win against Scranton.

The Mules scored three goals in the final 4:17 to come back and defeat the Royals, who had never trailed in winning their first three games by a combined score of 43-17. Muhlenberg now has its own 3-0 start - the third in program history and the first since 2007.

The game marked the first time since 2013 that the Mules came back from a fourth-quarter deficit to win. And with three straight wins to start the season, they have already topped their total from all last year.

Sophomores Drew Rafferty and Frankie Feaster and freshman Ethan Grossman each scored a pair of goals for Muhlenberg, while sophomore Garrett Pope was dazzling in goal, setting a career high in saves for the second straight game with 14.

After trailing 3-0 late in the first half, the Mules got their offense in gear and took their first lead, at 6-5, on a man-up goal by Grossman 40 seconds into the fourth quarter. Feaster, who scored back-to-back goals in the third to bring the game to a 5-5 tie, assisted on the go-ahead goal.

Scranton came right back and tallied the next three goals to open up an 8-6 lead midway through the period.

Muhlenberg's winning comeback began when sophomore Jack Colt scored off an assist from senior Niko Del Moro with 4:17 left. At the 2:54 mark, senior Dylan Moyer, caught with his long stick in the offensive end, successfully dodged a Scranton player and passed to sophomore Bobby McLoughlin for the tying goal.

Sophomore Frank Caterina won the ensuing faceoff and the Mules held possession for a minute before Emrick's first shot sailed high. Just 20 seconds later, however, he circled behind the cage and beat the Royal goalie for the winner.

Pope preserved the lead by making a save with under a minute to play. Scranton took possession for the final time with 14.8 seconds to play but was called for offside while trying to clear the ball, clinching the game for the Mules.

Scranton dominated the early part of the game, taking 14 shots in the first quarter and keeping Muhlenberg on defense for most of the first 12 minutes. The defense was up to the task, holding the Royals to a single goal during that time. The game evened out after that, but the Mules could not dent the scoreboard until Rafferty scored twice in the final 1:48 of the half. 

Caterina went 4-for-7 on faceoffs against Scranton's All-America specialist, who won 73.3 percent of his faces last year (second in Division III) and was 5-for-7 in the first half but only 7-for-12 in the second.

Caterina also caused two turnovers, as did freshman Christopher Hyde. The third starting defenseman, junior Nolan Robbins, picked up four ground balls.

pictured above: junior defensive middie Steve Chenworth