Score: Lebanon Valley College 14, Elmira College 5
Records: Lebanon Valley (3-1), Elmira (0-2)
Location: Elmira, NY - Notre Dame High School

Elmira, NY -- The Elmira College men's lacrosse team was defeated, 14-5, by Lebanon Valley College in the Soaring Eagles' 2016 home opener at Notre Dame High School on Saturday afternoon.

In fashion similar to Elmira's season-opening loss to Keuka College on March 5th, the Soaring Eagles were able to grab a one-goal lead early in the game, only to see the opposition pull away in the second half. Consecutive goals from Nevin Olney '18 and Skyler Pradelski '18 propelled EC to a 2-1 advantage through the first quarter of play.

The Dutchmen opened the second quarter with four straight scores to regain a lead it would never relinquish. Lebanon Valley's Brett Hudlak scored the go-ahead goal at the 11:29 mark of the second quarter, followed by back-to-back tallies from Jacques Mercer, extending the advantage to three goals at 5-2. Olney netted his second goal of the game with just over a minute remaining in the first half to bring the Purple and Gold within two heading into the locker room.

The depth of the Lebanon Valley bench became apparent in the second half, however, as the Dutchmen outscored the Purple and Gold 9-2 in the final two quarters. Kevin Schutt '19 and Anthony LaRusso '17 each scored in the fourth quarter for the Soaring Eagles, the former who took a ground ball off of a faceoff all the way into the offensive zone for his first career goal.

With the Dutchmen outshooting the Soaring Eagles 48-to-28, Cameron Prior '17 was once again pressed into heavy action. The Elmira netminder made 24 saves, his second consecutive game with 20-plus stops.

Turning Point
The Dutchmen emptied their entire bench in the second half and the fresh legs provided Lebanon Valley the spark it needed to create a comfortable lead. While the two teams played a tight game in the first half, resulting in a slim 5-3 advantage for the visitors, the Dutchmen reeled off eight in a row to start the second half. All eight goals in that span were scored by a different Lebanon Valley player.

Inside the Box

• Elmira received goals from Olney (2), Pradelski, Schutt, and LaRusso.
• Wyatt Katsos '17 and Blake O'Neill '19 each registered one assist.
• Nine different players scored for Lebanon Valley, led by Klayton Garman and Mercer with three goals apiece.
• Prior made 24 saves for EC and Cameron Epple made six for LVC.
• The Dutchmen held advantages in shots (48-to-28), ground balls (41-to-38), and faceoff victories (15-to-7).
• Lebanon Valley finished 2-for-3 on the power play, while the Soaring Eagles were held without a man-up goal on five opportunities.
• AJ Bourdon '16 collected a game-high 12 ground balls for Elmira.

News and Notes

• Lebanon Valley improved to 2-0 in the all-time series against Elmira.
• Prior has 20-plus saves in back-to-back games, marking the first time an Elmira goalie has matched that feat since Geoffrey Lane '10 did so on March 22-26, 2008.
• Bourdon's 12 ground balls are the most recorded by a Soaring Eagles since John Bigelow '16 scooped up 16 on April 1, 2015.

Up Next
The Elmira College men's lacrosse team continues its four-game homestand on Wednesday, March 16th, when the Soaring Eagles host Cazenovia College at 6:00 p.m.