ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Mother Nature tried her best to ruin Class of 2021 Recognition Day, but the Elmira College men's lacrosse team survived a lightning delay and Medaille College en route to a 13-6 victory on Wednesday evening.

Before the game, graduating seniors Jacob Mattice '21, Lincoln Hall '21, Cameron Lambert '21, Rafael Joseph '21, and Ravi Chauma '21 were recognized for their hard work on the field for the Purple and Gold.

Once the contest began, EC (2-5) was in full control. The Soaring Eagles netted the first five goals in the opening quarter and led at halftime, 9-3. The only hiccup along the way came with 1:33 remaining in the third, as an incoming thunderstorm delayed proceedings by nearly two hours.

Six different players earned a point for Elmira in a well-balanced offensive effort. Freshmen Brennan Bitely '24 and Hayden Sachel '24 logged hat tricks and paced the team with four points apiece. Sam Crary '23, Sam Shaw '22, and Jay Uebelacker '24 all scored a pair of goals. First-year attackman Matt Daley '24 added one tally for the Soaring Eagles against the Mavericks (0-3).

The defense, which produced a season-high 11 caused turnovers, was backed by Mattice. The senior goalie from Canton, New York, made a game-high 13 saves and surpassed 100 saves for the third time in his four years on the team.

Chauma, a short-stick midfielder from Harare, Zimbabwe, caused a trio of turnovers. Jeffrey Zero '23, Uebelacker, and Lambert each had two forced turnovers.

In Their Own Words…
Head Coach Brian Guilfoyle when asked about getting a win for the Class of 2021 in the season finale…
"All year, we were not focused on wins and losses, but rather to compete every single game, anytime, anywhere. Our seniors bought into this, and their maturity led to an impressive sense of accountability. With the future of the program as it is, everyone was kind of a senior in tonight's game, but what a perfect way to send our seniors off to graduation with the win. They deserved it.

News and Notes

• EC's 13 goals are its second-highest total of the 2021 season.
• The Soaring Eagles netted double-digit goals in back-to-back games for the first time since March of 2016.
• Daley's goal was his team-leading 21st of the year.
• Bitely and Sachel both scored their first-ever hat tricks.
• Bitely's six ground balls are a single-game season-high.
• Shaw, who has a point in all seven games in 2021, tied a season-high with six faceoff wins.
• Mattice graduates with 557 career saves, fifth-most in program history. 
• Today's win is Mattice's 10th in goal, which ties him for fifth-place all-time.