LEXINGTON, Va. – Seven points from senior
Hillis Burns and 17 saves from sophomore
Nick De Cain propelled the No. 4 Washington and Lee men's lacrosse team to a 12-10, season-opening win over York (Pa.) on Friday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Spartans (1-1) looked to be the stronger side in the first half, as they led by a 3-2 score threw one quarter and 5-3 by the 7:55 mark of the second. After no goals in the game over the next three minutes, senior
Joey Allen got the Generals back within a goal, followed by a
Jack Elliott score 60 seconds later to even the game heading into the half.
Allen's and Elliott's goals not only tied the game but spurred a 6-2 run for the Blue and White from the 4:31 mark of the second quarter until 4:09 remained in the third. The Generals got goals from five different players during that run, two from Allen, along with one goal and three assists from Burns.
York's Cory Bergmann put the Spartans one goal back with 1:54 left in the third, but the Generals had another answer as they proceeded to score three of the next four goals in the game to build up a 12-9 lead. Bergmann scored once more with 4:48 left in regulation, but the Spartans were held to just one shot after that, a Dylan McDougall attempt with 1:04 left that was stopped by De Cain, as the Generals' defense locked down the win.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Burns led all players in the game with seven points, which came on three goals and four assists. Burns took eight shots and put five on goal, while adding two ground balls. Elliott, who caused two turnovers, and first-year
James Meyer followed with three points on two goals and one assist each. Allen and junior
James Haley rounded out the multi-point Generals with two goals apiece.
Sophomore
Tyler Spano posted a game-high 11 ground balls after winning 12-of-23 face-offs, while junior
Chris Datz led the defensemen with five ground balls and was one of four Generals to cause two turnovers. Junior
Jay O'Keefe and sophomore
Spencer Surface also had strong defensive performances with a total of five ground balls and four caused turnovers, with both players causing multiple turnovers and grabbing multiple ground balls.
Bergmann and Coleton Mahorney paced the YCP offense with three points apiece on a combined five goals and one assist. Davis Fisher scored twice, with seven other players contributing one point each. Gavin Gismondi and Zach Rutledge both scooped up a York-high four ground balls, with Gismondi being one of three Spartans with a caused turnover.
De Cain earned the win between the pipes for the Blue and White after he stopped 17-of-27 shots on the night. Nash Womack played all 60 minutes for the Spartans and matched De Cain's 17 saves on 29 shots-on-goal faced.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
Burns' seven points increased his career total to 183, which leaves him eight points shy of tying Sam Englehart '73 (191) for the eighth-most points in program history. With three of his points being goals, Burns will tie Colin Dougherty '00 for the 10th-most goals scored in program history with his next tally.
Haley's two goals in the game leaves him needing just one more point to cross into triple digits for his career. He has 57 goals and 42 assists in 35 career games.
De Cain's 17 saves not only set a new career-high, besting his rookie season high of 15, but it was the most saves in a game for a W&L goalie since Nick Spagnoletti '22 turned in back-to-back 21-save performances on March 23 and 26, 2022.
TEAM STATS:
The Generals outshot the Spartans, 48-45, overall for the night, which included a 30-21 advantage in first-half attempts. York completed 24-of-31 clears on the night to 22-of-27 for the Blue and White, and W&L got to 38 ground balls to 34 for the visitors.
UP NEXT:
The Generals will get back on the field next Wednesday, February 19, when they host fifth-ranked Christopher Newport at 6:00 p.m. in the annual Lacrosse the Nations Cup.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
