OWINGS MILLS, Md. – A first-half run and key defensive stops in the fourth quarter propelled the No. 13 Washington and Lee men's lacrosse team to a 12-10 win over No. 12 St. Lawrence on Friday in the opening game of the 2025 Callum Robinson Mustang Classic.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Saints (3-2) had the upper hand early on as they struck for the game's first three goals across the first half of the opening frame. With 2:39 left, senior
Hillis Burns got the Generals (3-2) going with a man-up goal, which began a 7-0 run to close out the half. Burns scored twice on the run, with junior
James Haley leading the team with three goals, plus on assist on the initial Burns goal.
After both teams exchanged one goal each the start the third, the Saints scored the next four, including the last two from Nate Stevens, to even the score at eight with 10:53 left in regulation. Burns (9:59) and Haley (8:29) then got W&L back ahead by two, but Cam Croasdaile and Jamie Rosenzweig pulled the Saints back even, 10-10, over the next two minutes.
Burns, once again, put the Generals up a goal when he scored with 4:08 remaining, before senior
Jack Elliott tallied the final goal of the game with 3:19 left. After Elliott's goal, sophomore
Tyler Spano won the ensuing face-off to help bleed the clock, followed by a pair of saves by sophomore
Nick De Cain in the final 70 seconds, the last of which came with 46 seconds left. W&L then drew a pushing penalty, which allowed them to run the rest of the clock down to zero in their man-up offense.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Haley and Burns were the offensive leaders for the Generals, with Haley notching six points on four goals and two assists, plus four goals from Burns. Spano had a strong game on face-offs, winning 17-of-24 and scooping up nine ground balls.
W&L's defensemen played a major role in locking down the Saints, as the starting unit of juniors
Jay O'Keefe,
Nick Garcia and
Chris Datz combined for 12 ground balls and seven caused turnovers. O'Keefe led the trio with five caused turnovers and four ground balls, while Datz caused two turnovers and picked up seven ground balls. First-year
Robert Bath, who got the start in the midfield, added five ground balls, as well, in addition to scoring a goal.
Daniel Mahoney was the Saints' top offensive threat with five points on two goals and three assists, followed by Rosenzweig at four points (2g, 2a) and Stevens with three (2g, 1a). Sam Wade was the lone Saint to cause multiple turnovers (2), while Michael Marinello (5) and Padraic Condon (4) combined for nine ground balls.
In goal, De Cain made 11 saves across all 60 minutes of play for the Generals, in addition to three ground balls, while Marinello stopped 14 shots on the day.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
The Generals improved to 3-2 overall this season with Friday's win, with each of their three wins coming via 12-10 final scores. All five of W&L's games this season have been decided by either two or three goals.
W&L and St. Lawrence met on Friday for just the second time in the all-time head-to-head. The last time these two schools met in men's lacrosse, the Saints claimed a 7-4 victory on March 14, 1989.
Burns' four-point performance on Friday leaves him needing just one more to become the eighth player in program history to reach 200 career points.
TEAM STATS:
The Generals outshot the Saints, 44-30, in the game, including a sizeable 16-2 margin in the second quarter when W&L was playing its strongest. St. Lawrence turned the ball over 15 times to 12 for the Blue and White, with W&L holding a 48-28 advantage in ground balls. Both teams had just two failed clears, but W&L (.913) held the percentage edge over the Saints (.895).
UP NEXT:
The Generals will return to Mustang Stadium on Saturday for an 11:30 a.m. matchup against No. 17 Dickinson.
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.
