The Lake Forest College men's lacrosse team defeated visiting Hope College 9-8 in overtime Saturday afternoon in the Foresters' first home game of 2024.

Freshman Macklin Thomas netted the game-winner 94 seconds into the extra period, firing a shot from 12 yards out into the top-right corner of the goal.

The frenzied postgame celebration began with Thomas before shifting to junior goalie Andrew Widlar, whose 18 saves at the other end of the field were the most by a Forester in a victory since ther rebirth of the program in 2022. He is now 3-0 with a .609 save percentage on the young season.

Thomas, who scored five of the home team's nine goals and assisted on another, appeared to have secured the Forester victory much earlier. His second goal of the afternoon broke a 4-4 tie with 3:07 to play in the third quarter and he scored again less than a minute later. His fourth came at the 9:00 mark of the fourth quarter and he set up Chas Dean with 6:20 left, making the score 8-4.

After scoring just four goals in the game's first 34 minutes, Hope matched that total in the next four, tying the game with two minutes remaining in regulation. The visitors also had a chance to win the game themselves before turning the ball over right in front of Lake Forest's goal.

Forester junior Connor Tartaglione battled several Flying Dutchmen for the ground ball and played it back to Widlar. A long pass up the field found Dean and he passed the ball to Macklin to set up the game-winner.

The teams were never separated by more than a goal during the game's first 42 minutes and the score was tied 2-2 at the end of the first quarter and 3-3 at halftime. Sophomore Brendan Herbert accounted for a pair of tallies in the first half, including one he threw behind his head for a highlight reel score. Sophomore Evan Heitner's first career goal put the Foresters on top with 6:-6 to play in the third quarter but Hope tied the score at four a minute later.

Widlar and graduate student Gordon Kiesgen IV led Lake Forest with five ground balls apiece while junior Conor Murphy added four. Tartagline finished with a team-high three caused turnovers and four other Foresters had two.

The victory was the third in as many games this spring for Lake Forest while Hope fell to 2-2.

The Foresters will host Marian University Wednesday at 3:00 on Mohr Field.