LYNCHBURG, Va. – Six unanswered goals to start Sunday’s game at Randolph drove Elizabethtown men’s lacrosse to a 13-5 victory and a sweep of its weekend trip to Virginia.
Similar to yesterday’s game at Ferrum, the Blue Jays (3-2) imposed their will early and often. They outshot Randolph 13-1 in the first quarter in building a 4-0 lead and 44-14 for the game.
Sophomore attackman Joe Clark registered his second straight five-point game, matching Saturday’s statline with four goals and an assist. Russ LeClair had a hat trick and Pat Scott scored the first two goals of his career to lead Elizabethtown’s offensive juggernaut.
Clark and LeClair factored heavily into the visitors’ early onslaught. Clark fired home his 13th and 14th of the season at 13:14 and 8:53 of the quarter and set up LeClair’s eighth of the campaign at 9:09. Nick Specht increased Elizabethtown’s lead to 4-0 with 7:03 to go in the period.
E-town did not allow the WildCats (2-1) to record a shot on goal in the opening 15 minutes. Randolph wouldn’t break the Blue Jays’ shutout until the 8:55 mark of the second when Graham Southwick scored unassisted. Elizabethtown had already built a 6-0 lead by that point after Clark netted his hat trick goal at 13:14 and LeClair ripped a shot past Randolph goalie Cam Davis at 11:13.
Randolph scored three straight to close the gap to 6-3 at halftime, but Elizabethtown responded by outscoring the ‘Cats 5-0 in the third and putting together a second six-goal run that lasted into the early fourth quarter.
Jimmy Waters led the Jays out of the half with a goal 1:46 in. Matt Frey, Mike Specht, Clark and LeClair also notched third-quarter goals.
Phil Kyger assisted on Scott goals that bookended the fourth. Scott scored his first career goal at 11:05 to make it 12-3, and also had one a man-up with 40 ticks left to conclude the scoring.
Coach Drew Delaney’s crew bombarded the Randolph net all afternoon. Nineteen saves between Davis (13) and backup goalie Matt Lindenbaum (six) kept the WildCats in contention until the Blue Jays put the game away in the third.
Mike Specht collected three points on the afternoon with a goal and two helpers. Kevin Meakim doled out two assists, while Connor Rowe had one. Waters finished with a goal and an assist.
Matt Rucci was 7-of-12 on face-offs and David Latimore, who made his season debut, 3-of-6. Rucci’s four ground balls were tied for the team lead with Jake Evans and Michael Hofstedt. Hofstedt also caused a team-high three turnovers.
Chris Wenger allowed three goals in 40:37, before giving way to reserves Basle Lavery and Trey Yetter to cover the final 19:23. Yetter came up with a pair of saves in 14:31.
Elizabethtown starts a three-game homestand Wednesday afternoon at 4 against Delaware Valley.
