MOUNT OLIVE (March 18) – Facing off against nationally ranked No. 14 Seton Hill on Saturday morning, the University of Mount Olive men's lacrosse team secured an 8-6 win at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex in non-conference action.
With the win, the Trojans improve to 2-5 this season with head coach
Dylan Price winning his first home at the helm of the program. Meanwhile, the Griffins drop to 3-3 this season with a 1-1 record against Conference Carolinas opponents.
In the opening minutes of the contest, senior
Chaz Goodman passed the ball to junior
Aidan Lalonde, who found the back of the net to score the first goal of the game, 1-0. At the 9:58 mark of the match, Seton Hill tied the game at 1-1. With a great defensive effort by junior goalkeeper
Jacob Brown, the Trojans were able to keep the match tied. Finishing the first quarter, Mount Olive took the lead with a goal by graduate student
Braydon Hickey, off a pass from Goodman, 2-1. At the start of the second quarter, both teams worked aggressively to put the ball in the back of the cage. For nearly 11 minutes, both teams remained scoreless until graduate student
Blake Tallon caught the rebounded ball and stuff it in the back of the net at the 3:39-mark of the match, 3-1. With 31 seconds left, Seton Hill closed the first half with a goal, bringing the score within one, 3-2.
SHU started the second half hungry as they took two shots on goal. Both saved by Brown, Mount Olive was able to gain possession in hope of keeping their lead. With a pass by freshman
Benjamin Vanderkley, Lalonde scored his second goal of the game, 4-2. With total determination by the Trojans, Mount Olive took the largest lead of the game with two back-to-back goals from Lalonde and Vanderkley. Closing the third quarter of the game, the Griffins saw no goals in this frame of the game. At the start of the last quarter, Seton Hill netted the first goal at the 13:33-mark, 6-3. With a man-up opportunity, a pass from junior
Chapman Parker led to Lalonde scoring his fourth goal of the match, 7-3. In the near end of the game, Seton Hill was able to score three unanswered goals to bring the match within one, 7-6. With one possession opportunity left, Mount Olive won the face-off and secured the game-winning goal by Parker, 8-6.
Lalonde scored a season-high of four goals. Going 12-of-18, graduate student
Mike Marto was able to win over 60 percent of the face-offs, while fellow teammate Brady Laurence secured seven ground balls.
Goalkeeper Brown had 15 saves after facing 21 shots on goal.
Mount Olive returns to play as it heads to Franklin Springs, Georgia, to take on Emmanuel in its conference opener on Saturday, March, 25, at 12 p.m.