ETTRICK, Va. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Lacrosse Team (0-1) fought valiantly for all 60 minutes Saturday afternoon, but Virginia State University (1-0) outlasted the Wasps to spoil the inaugural match for the E&H program. The Trojans ran out to a 7-4 halftime lead on their way to a 14-6 victory.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Virginia State 14, Emory & Henry 6
LOCATION – Ettrick, Virginia
VENUE – Rogers Stadium
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (0-1, 0-0 SAC); Virginia State (1-0)
How It Happened
- The Trojans wasted no time establishing a lead as they tallied the first five goals of the game to give themselves some cushion at 5-0 with 2:27 remaining in the opening quarter. Freshman attacker Dakotah Hawkins (Roanoke, Va.) made history at the 2:05 mark as he registered an unassisted goal for the first score in the history of the program to get the Wasps on the board and reduce the deficit to 5-1 heading into the second frame.
- The Wasps added another goal just over two minutes into the second quarter when freshman midfielder James Marra (Roanoke, Va.) found freshman defender Noah Parrish (Manassas, Va.) who fired a shot past the VSU goalie to make it a 5-2 game. The Trojans answered with a goal of their own, but Hawkins struck again at the 4:45 mark with an unassisted tally to run the score to 6-3 in favor of the home team. After another VSU score, freshman attacker Collin Shell (Blountville, Tenn.) got on the score sheet as he registered his first collegiate goal a man down with just 30 seconds remaining in the opening half to slice the deficit to 7-4 at the break.
- Virginia State controlled things in the third quarter of play as the Trojans rallied for four unanswered scores to push their lead out to its largest of the game at 11-4.
- Emory & Henry would not go quietly however as freshman midfielder David Mewes (Greenville, S.C.) got the Wasps back in the score column 89 seconds into the final frame as he scored an unassisted tally. Freshman midfielder Gabe Carter (Kingsport, Tenn.) added another just under two minutes later as he recorded an unassisted score to bring the visitors from Emory back with five at 11-6. That was as close as the Wasps would get however, as VSU scored the final three goals of the match to take the 14-6 victory.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Hawkins paced the Wasps' attack with a pair of goals on three shots. Mewes finished with one goal, four ground balls and a caused turnover while freshman defender Isaiah Ward (Fredericksburg, Va.) added three ground balls and a caused turnover.
- Freshman defender Kyle Dyott (Easton, Md.) led the way defensively for E&H with a team-high five caused turnovers while scooping up five ground balls. Freshman face-off Jaxon Blackshear (Hedgesville, W.Va.) recorded a team-high seven ground balls and went 11-for-19 at the face-off dot.
- Freshman goalie Mason Buttery (Carmel, Ind.) finished with 15 saves and added six ground balls while forcing a turnover.
Virginia State Individual Leaders
- Kalani Laughlin led the offense for the Trojans with a match-high four goals, two assists and one ground ball. Donovan Elmore, Miles Jackson and Andre Bigham all finished with a pair of goals in the win for VSU.
- Jace Wiggins made 10 saves in net for the Trojans to earn the win.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry returns home on Friday, February 7 for the first home match in program history when the Wasps host the Falcons of the University of Montevallo. Face-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. from Emory, Virginia.
--E&H--