WINGATE, N.C. – The nationally ninth-ranked Limestone College men's lacrosse team posted 12 unanswered goals and allowed just one score over the final 30 minutes of play to cruise to its fifth straight win with a dominating 18-5 nonconference win over Wingate University on Saturday, March 24.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: No. 9 Limestone 18, Wingate 5
Records: No. 9 Limestone (7-3), Wingate (4-5)
Location: Graham Gill Field
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Junior Jeremy Burns (Fort Mitchell, Ky.) posted a career-high with four points (3 goals, 1 assist)
- Freshman Cody Solmosy (Farmingville, N.Y.) also added three goals and an assist
- Sophomore Clark Walter (Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) tallied two goals and two assists
- Freshman Noah Lindner (Apple Valley, Minn.) dished out three assists
- Sophomore Tyler Papa (Manlius, N.Y.) chipped in a pair of goals and an assist
- Senior Brendan P. Smith (West Islip, N.Y.) scored twice
- Sophomore Dakota Kirsh-Downs (Odenton, Md.) went 17-of-24 at the "X" with seven groundballs
- Senior keeper Cole Aikens (Novato, Calif.) recorded 11 saves to pick up the win
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
Papa split the frame to give the Saints a 1-0 lead a few moments into the contest, but Wingate would deliver the equalizer with 7:37 left in the opening period. Kirsh-Downs put Limestone back on top, scoring on the ensuing faceoff, before Solmosy tallied a man-up goal a few ticks later to make it a 3-1 game.
The Bulldogs closed the margin to one with a score late in the quarter, but the Blue and Gold would maintain a 3-2 edge with the first 15 minutes in the books. The Saints outpaced Wingate, 13-5, in shots attempt in the first period while the visitors won all six faceoff attempts in the stanza.
Second Quarter
Limestone opened the second quarter with three straight scores as juniors
Brian Huyghue (Halifax, Nova Scotia) and
Matt Hommel (Ballston Spa, N.Y.) each found the back of the net. Walter capped the scoring with his 15
th goal of the year, but Wingate answered with back-to-back goals to keep it close at 6-4.
Leading by two with less than four minutes remaining in the half, the Saints closed the second period with another 3-0 spurt. Solmosy recorded consecutive goals to start the decisive run, including a man-up score, before Smith finished off a feed from Burns to put Limestone in front, 9-4, at the break.
Third Quarter
The scoring run continued well into the second half as the Saints started to pull away in the third. Burns scored twice for the Blue and Gold in the period while Papa and Walter each registered a goal to extend Limestone's margin to 13-4 heading in the final quarter.
Fourth Quarter
Senior
Bailey Bourgeois (Horseheads, N.Y.) made it a 14-4 game early in the fourth, tallying his second score of the season off a feed from sophomore
Jake Crotser (Oneonta, N.Y.) at the 12:51-mark, before Smith gave the Saints a comfortable 11-goal cushion a few seconds later.
Senior
Charlie Sheehan (St. Catharines, Ontario) and junior
Tyler Ponzio (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) would both score for Limestone before Burns capped the long 12-0 run by completing his first career hat trick. Wingate posted its lone score of the second half with 88 seconds remaining in regulation.
TURNING POINT
Holding a narrow 6-4 lead late in the first half, the Saints used a 3-0 spurt over the final four minutes of the second quarter to begin opening things up. That would spark a larger scoring streak of 12 unanswered goals that stretched into the final moments of the contest.
NOTABLES
- Limestone has won seven straight against Wingate, improving to 24-2 in the all-time series
- The Saints have outscored opponents 38-8 over two games this week
- During its five-game win streak, the Blue and Gold has posted 16 goals or more in each contest
- Limestone finished with a 51-22 advantage in shots attempted
UP NEXT
Following two straight road games, the Saints return home to take on nationally 11
th-ranked University of Mount Olive in a key Conference Carolinas clash on Saturday, March 31 at noon.
