Lions Calm Tornados for Victory

MARS HILL, N.C. –The Mars Hill lacrosse team picked up its second consecutive South Atlantic Conference victory with a 21-7 triumph over Brevard at Meares Stadium and Ammons Family Athletic Center on Wednesday afternoon. With the win, Mars Hill improves to 3-4 on the season and 2-1 in the league, while Brevard drops to 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the conference.

Jimmy McBride and Ryan Sage each scored four goals for Mars Hill. Adam Zulak scored three goals, with Frank Riffe, Alex Lipsky and A.J. Seip each scoring two goals. Saxon Weil, Darian Richardson, Tanner Leach and Brett Kudlak scored one goal each. McBride and Zulak each had three assists, Malcolm and Riffe had two helpers, while Alex Lipsky, Hunter Maggs, Robert Peterson, Brian Pieklik and Connor Staub each had an assist.

Andrew Bonnie led Brevard with three goals, Matthew Dropuljic scored two goals, while Blair Alexandersen and Robert Thornley each scored a goal.

Mars Hill scored the first six goals of the game as Sage, Seip, Weil, McBride, Leach and Zulak each found the back of the net before the 6:39 mark of the period. Brevard got on the board with a goal from Dropuljic before Sage and McBridge scored to give Mars Hill an 8-1 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Lions pushed their lead to 9-1 52 seconds into the second quarter with Sage's third goal of the half. Riffe scored his first goal of the game with 13:30 to go in the opening half before Alexanderson cut the Mars Hill lead to 10-2 with 12:07 to go. McBride scored two goals in 1:49 for a 12-2 Mars Hill lead with 7:11 to play in the half. Zulak tallied his second of the half with 2:49 to play in the half before Richardson closed out the scoring in the second quarter with his first goal of the year with 44 seconds to play.

Zulak added his third goal of the game with 12:26 to play in the third quarter, followed by Seip's second of the afternoon with 8:15 to play. Lipsky scored his first collegiate goal with 6:36 to play in the quarter for a 17-2 Mars Hill lead. The Lions and Tornados traded goals before Brevard scored the final three goals of the quarter to pull within 12, 18-6.

Riffe and Kudlak scored 57 seconds apart in the fourth quarter for a 20-6 Mars Hill lead with 8:49 to play. Lipsky added his second goal of the game, a man-up goal, with 3:46 remaining. Bonnie scored the final goal of the game with 1:43 to go.

Mars Hill was two-for-four on man-up opportunities, while Brevard failed to convert on four opportunities.

Reigning SAC Defensive Player of the Week Patrick McMahon earned the win, making four saves on six shots in the first half. Jack Grinewich made five saves on 10 shots. Andrew Reilly made 16 saves for the Tornados.

Mars Hill travels to Hilton Head, S.C. on Sunday to face Florida Southern. Face-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.