Jack Gannon's return from a one-game absence was exactly what the UMBC men's lacrosse team needed.
After missing the team's 4-2 win against Monmouth on Feb. 21 because of an ankle injury, the junior attackman led the Retrievers with three goals and an assist in their 9-5 victory at Richmond on Saturday.
Gannon scored three straight goals to end the first quarter, and his hat trick was part of a larger 5-0 run that UMBC (2-2) used to take a 5-1 advantage just 88 seconds into the second period.
"We were hoping that he'd be ready for the game," coach Don Zimmerman said Thursday morning. "He got cleared and was actually able to get out there on Thursday and Friday and run around a little bit. So we started him, and boy, he came through. He had a nice game for us. Got us off to a good start, which is important."
Gannon's production helped the offense set a season high in goals, and Zimmerman said he noticed more cohesion on that side of the field.
"Whenever you lose a starter, you're going to lose one of your key elements," he said. "Jack has been playing well for us throughout. Him coming back gave us another veteran player, and as a result, I think our offense just seemed to be playing in better sync."
But the Retrievers are one of seven teams that have yet to score 10 goals in a game this season. They rank 64th out of 69 offenses in Division I in goals per game (6.3) and 58th in shooting percentage (23.4), and they aren't getting much help from a man-up unit that is tied for 62nd in conversion rate (18.8 percent on 3-of-16 chances).
Zimmerman acknowledged that the general goal for an offense is to get to 10 on the scoreboard.
"We'd like to get to double figures," he said. "We came close at nine. But it's a work in progress. Every team is new and different. I know that we've said all along that we return nine starters, but we brought some good kids in, some freshmen, and things change. I've always believed that it takes an offense a little bit longer to get an untracked than a defense, and I think for us this year, that's been the case. But I like the way we're progressing."