Box Score The inaugural year of John Carroll University men's lacrosse has went better than anyone could have imagined. The Blue Streaks haven't skipped a beat despite battling injuries, lengthy road trips and tough competition.

And now, after overcoming all of the challenges, the Blue Streaks are poised to make an appearance in the first-ever OAC Tournament.

Declan O'Grady's four-goal effort on Wednesday afternoon made it all possible, as the freshman led the Blue and Gold to a 9-4 road victory over Capital University.

"Today was another test," head coach Brian Small said. "[Our] guys are really trying to focus on the team and what they need to do to make sure the team is successful. It's a growing process that we are learning each day."

The Blue Streaks offense was tested from the get-go, as the unit couldn't find a rhythm early on. The Crusaders struck first as a result. Capital took advantage of a man-up opportunity six minutes into the contest, as Nick Hess gave the Crusaders the early lead.

The Blue and Gold soon found its groove after Capital's opening tally, as JCU found the back of the net three times in the final four minutes of the period. Michael Roth started the scoring party with a goal at the 4:04 mark, receiving an assist from Stephen Leous.

Declan O'Grady kept the fun going with a tally two minutes later, assisted by veteran Brian Jaszka. The goal was O'Grady's 33rd of the season, briefly tying him with Leous and Wilmington's Alexander Gossard for the most in the OAC.

Roth rounded out JCU's offensive breakout, putting home a shot with 11 seconds left to play in the first quarter. O'Grady was credited with an assist on the goal that granted JCU a 3-1 lead heading into the second.

The Blue Streaks silenced the Capital offense over the next 15 minutes of the contest, limiting the Crusaders to just three shots on goal. JCU's offense was more effective, netting a pair of goals to extend the team's lead. Leous added his second goal of the game at the 9:05 mark of the second stanza, while Daniel Kincaid followed suit with a tally of his own with 3:16 remaining in the half. As the teams entered the locker rooms, the Blue Streaks held a sizable 5-1 lead.

The Blue and Gold kept rolling at the start of the third quarter, as O'Grady and Jaszka teamed up again to give JCU a comfortable 6-1 lead.

However, the Crusaders offense awakened from their long slumber later in the period. Brent Walton put the team on his back with three goals in a row, bringing the Crusaders to within two goals with under three minutes to play in the period.

As Walton attempted to resuscitate the Crusaders, the Blue Streaks struggled to find a way to beat Capital goalkeeper Jordan Adkins. The freshman turned away all of JCU's attempts in the remainder of the period, aided by a refreshed Capital defense.

O'Grady ended Capital's scoring streak three minutes into the fourth quarter, putting the Blue Streaks up 7-4. A defensive struggle ensued, as goalkeeper Brian Bedell and the JCU defense thwarted several Capital scoring chances, while the Crusaders managed to keep the Blue Streaks off the board.

But in the waning minutes, while Capital could not seize any opportunities to narrow the deficit, the Blue Streaks buried a pair of chances to put the game out of reach. Dominic Starvaggi ripped a shot past Adkins with 2:12 to play, and O'Grady weaved his way past Capital defenders and flung the ball into the net with 1:31 left. Following the goals, the Blue Streaks held a 9-4 lead and a firm grasp on an OAC Tournament playoff spot. O'Grady also claimed the top of the OAC leaderboard in the goal department with his 36th of the year.

The win advances JCU to 11-3 overall, 2-2 in OAC play, heading into the team's regular season finale at Wilmington College on Saturday.