Lions win season opening shootout over Lees-McRae

MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill men's lacrosse team (1-0) opened the 2019 campaign with a thrilling 19-18 win over Lees-McRae (0-1) Saturday afternoon in the Ammons Family Athletic Center and Meares Stadium.

Mars Hill entered the fourth quarter up 14-12 before Craig Barr's fourth goal of the contest pulled the Bobcats within one.  Two Lions' goals, scored by Spencer Andrews and Kyle Dozzi, reestablished Mars Hill's three-goal lead with 11:36 left in the contest.  Lees-McRae answered back to score three of the next four goals, but tallies from Andrews and Parker Beaudry provided the Lions a three-goal cushion in the final five minutes of regulation. 

Goals from Alec Molander and Ethan Knight once again cut the deficit to one with under two minutes to play.  On what looked like the game-tying goal with under a minute remaining, a foul was called on the Bobcats, disallowing the marker.  Mars Hill, after clearing the zone, was able to maintain possession and secure the 19-18 win in their season opener.

Andrews scored the first goal of the 2019 season just 59 seconds into the contest.  Midway through the frame, Knight and Molander provided the Bobcats a 2-1 lead, but three straight Lions' goals from Zac Carrigan, Jake Trafton, and Connor Fernandes closed out the first frame with Mars Hill up 4-2.  Beaudry extended the Lions' lead to three 1:04 into the second quarter. 

Rallying from behind, the Bobcats scored three straight to knot the game at five with 8:06 left in the half.  With less than a minute left in the second and down by two, Mars Hill scored twice in six seconds to tie the game at eight.  The goals were scored by Trafton and Fernandes.

After being outscored 6-4 in the second quarter, the Lions returned the favor with two goals apiece from Andrews and Trafton along with tallies from Beaudry and Tremain Hill.  Molander scored two of the Bobcats' four third quarter goals while Barr and Benjamin Davidson also notched goals for Lees-McRae.

Molander led all players with 11 points (6g, 5a).  Trafton (4g, 3a) paced the Lions' offense while Andrews (5g, 1a) and Beaudry (3g, 3a) each added six points.

Joel Borman made 10 saves in his debut between the pipes for Mars Hill.  Cameron Castle stopped 13 shots in the losing effort.

Mars Hill returns to action on Saturday, February 9th when they hit the road to take on Montevallo.  The contest is slated for a 2 p.m. start.