Score: Elmira College 6, Keystone College 5
Records: Elmira (2-4), Keystone (0-4)
Location: Notre Dame High School – Elmira, N.Y.

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The Elmira College men's lacrosse team withstood a late rally from the Giants of Keystone College under the lights at Notre Dame High School on Wednesday evening, as the Soaring Eagles held on for a 6-5 victory over their non-conference foe.

Despite EC taking a large lead early, the contest was a battle throughout. The Soaring Eagles ended the tilt with the advantage in shots, 39-21. Elmira's defense frustrated the Giants throughout the contest, as it forced the visitors into 31 turnovers.

James Mayer '20 and Sam Shaw '22 supplied the firepower for the Soaring Eagles, as the duo each finished with a hat-trick. Mayer added a season-high 12 ground balls and six face-off wins, while Shaw finished with eight ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers. Cam Brickey '19 acted as the team's disruptor in the defensive end, as the senior racked up six caused turnovers.

Mayer opened the scoring at the 11:45 mark of the first quarter with his fourth goal of the season. The Giants knotted the score at 2-2, as A.J. Hackenberg was able to sneak a shot past Jacob Mattice '21 with three minutes to play in the opening period.

EC wrangled back control of the contest in the second quarter, as Shaw and Mayer combined for four consecutive goals on a run that spilled into the third quarter. The barrage from the high-powered duo proved key, as the Giants tallied three-straight to pull within one with under a minute to play, as Michael Casey pulled Keystone back into the contest.

As the Giants pushed for an equalizer with the clock winding down, an errant pass and a clutch ground ball from Shaw sealed the victory for the Purple and Gold.

In Their Own Words...
Head coach Brendan Gorman when asked about Elmira's ability to grind out a close win over Keystone…
"I'm proud of the boys for coming away with a win, even though it wasn't as easy as it maybe could have been. A little frustrated that we let it get that close, but we pulled it together and took care of business."

Coach Gorman when asked about the team's strong start in the first half…
"The start is always important because it can build momentum. I think James (Mayer) kind of took over a little bit early and Sam (Shaw) made some nice plays. The offense was a little disjointed, but it came together at moments, and then fell apart a little bit at the end. It was an up-and-down game."

Coach Gorman on EC's defense holding the opposition to just five goals…
"I think the defense played well. It's nice having Spencer Carter back in the lineup; kind of gives us another long stick out there and we could really settle into what we were doing out there. We just need to do a better job of communicating as a group so we can work through things better."

News and Notes

• Elmira improved to 2-4 overall with its second win of the season against Keystone.
• EC has won both meetings in the all-time series with the Giants.
• The Soaring Eagles posted season highs in shots (39), ground balls (50), and caused turnovers (15), while limiting its opponent to just 21 shots, a season-low.
• Shaw scored multiple goals for the fourth time this year.
• Shaw added to his team lead in goals and now has 16 through his first six collegiate games.
• Mayer logged his first career hat trick with a single-game season-high three goals.
• Mayer's 12 ground balls are also a career-best.
• Brickey's six caused turnovers mark a season- and career-high.
• John Broyles '19 made his second consecutive start in the midfield and gathered a season-high six ground balls.
• Mattice made eight saves to secure the second win of his sophomore season.

Up Next
The Soaring Eagles open Empire 8 Conference play on the road on Saturday, March 23, when they  battle the Golden Flyers of Nazareth College. The contest is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start.