MOUNT OLIVE – Behind 11 different goal scorers on Saturday afternoon, the University of Mount Olive men’s lacrosse team netted a season-high in goals in a 21-7 victory over Lees-McRae in the opening game of Conference Carolinas play at Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex.
With the win, the Trojans improved to 4-3 this season with a 1-0 mark in conference action. Mount Olive remains undefeated in the series with all 11 victories coming by double digits goals. Meanwhile, Lees-McRae falls to 3-2 overall behind a 0-1 record in league play.
Senior Aidan Lalonde delivered five goals against the Bobcats, while fifth-year Chaz Goodman and graduate student Samuel Skousen each registered five-point performances (one goal, four assists) on Saturday. Sophomore Benjamin Vanderkley and senior Matthew Ateshian recorded a hat trick in the win.
The Trojans scored four straight goals to begin the contest, including a pair in just 45 seconds by senior Chapman Parker and Vanderkley.
Lees-McRae responded with its first goal at the 4:26 mark of the first quarter, but Mount Olive rallied by netting three goals in the final three-plus minutes to take a 6-1 lead.
Six different Trojans scored in the opening quarter with five of the six goals assisted. In the second, UMO rattled the cage four more times, as Lalonde finished his first-half hat trick and Goodman totaled assists on three of the four goals.
Defensively, the Trojans held the Bobcats scoreless in the quarter and forced 12 turnovers to hold an 11-1 lead at the break.
Lees-McRae scored the initial seconds of the third quarter to cut into the deficit before Parker and Lalonde found the back of the cage in a four-minute stretch to extend the advantage to 13-2. The Bobcats tallied three of the following four goals to close the gap to 15-5.
Graduate student Chance Urban scored the final goal of the third in the closing seconds to take a 16-5 lead into the final 15 minutes.
In the fourth quarter, Lees-McRae scored in the opening minutes to trail by a 16-6 margin before UMO countered with four consecutive goals, as Vanderkley completed the hat trick and junior Caleb Tatum registered two goals, 20-6.
Following a goal by the Bobcats with 3:28 left, Ateshian scored the final goal off an assist by freshman Evan Mitchell to seal the win, 21-7.
Sophomore Kurtis Lensing earned the win (4-3) after playing the opening 30 minutes of the contest, while teammate Jack Isaacs collected eight saves on 22 shots faced in the second half.
Redshirt junior Josh Mauer finished 13-of-18 on face-offs while grabbing a game-high nine ground balls on Saturday.
The Trojans return to action at Noon on Mar. 23, when they host conference newcomer Young Harris.
