DUBUQUE, Iowa – In the 2023 season opener, the Missouri Baptist University men's lacrosse team blew past former conference foe Clarke University for an easy 11-2 victory on Monday. The Spartans' well-balanced offense and stout defense delivered Trey Whittemore his first career victory as a collegiate head coach.

Five different Spartans scored two goals apiece in the season-opening win including Dylan Forbeck, Brock Pleis, Caleb Tant, Ryan Hicks, and Connor Hickman.

Freshman Dylan Forbeck scored his first career goal at the 12:05 mark to put the Spartans on the board first. The Sacramento, Calif. native put a spin move inside on his defender and ripped one past Pride goalie Jack Fritz to give MBU the 1-0 lead. After an equalizer was scored by Clarke less than a minute later, the Spartans tacked two more goals on at the end of the period. Junior Connor Hickman scooped up a deflected save and snuck it into the corner to help MBU regain the lead with 2:28 remaining in the first. Forbeck scored his second goal of the period with three second left on the clock.

The Pride cut into MoBap's two-point cushion at the 11:09 mark in the second, however that would be the last of CU's scoring. MBU pushed back even harder putting up three more goals before halftime. Joining the scoring party were Caleb Tant, Ryan Hicks, and Brock Pleis with a man-up goal for his first collegiate goal.

After the break, the Spartans kept firing on all cylinders with five more goals including second goals for Hickman, Hicks, Tant, and Pleis, while defenseman Blake Lauria got in on the action intercepting a failed clear by the Pride and taking it to the house for a long-pole goal to begin the scoring in the fourth.

MBU's sharp defense didn't allow Clarke to make any headway, holding the Pride scoreless on 14 second-half shots. Junior goalie Ashton Scott made seven saves in his 60 minutes in goal circle.

Monday began a five-game roadswing for the Spartans, who won't play their home opener until NCAA Division II Adams State University comes to town on Monday, March 20. Up next, MBU travels to Oskaloosa, Iowa on March 4 to take on (RV) William Penn University, another former KCAC member now in the Heart of America Athletic Conference for men's lacrosse. Game time is set for 2 p.m.