RICHMOND — Richmond men’s lacrosse set offensive records and won back-to-back regular-season games for the first time in school history after a 15-7 home win over Rutgers Saturday at Robins Stadium. Richmond is off to a 2-0 start, handing the Scarlet Knights their first loss of the season to sit at 1-1.
The 15 goals are the most ever scored in a game by the Spiders in their 19-game history, and the five goals scored by sophomore midfielder Mitch Goldberg (Damascus, Maryland) are also a single-game program record.
The Spiders are also now 4-0 in rematch games, after losing the first meeting against all four opponents.
The Scarlet Knights got on the board first with a goal less than two minutes in, but Goldberg scored twice during a Richmond 4-0 run to finish the quarter and start the second and the Spiders never trailed the rest of the way. Richmond never allowed Rutgers to score consecutive goals in the game.
The stats between the Scarlet Knights and Spiders settled to near even, save for the shots and goals columns. Rutgers won 17 of the 26 faceoffs, but sophomore goalie Benny Pugh (Pohwatan, Virginia / Woodberry Forest School) saved 11 shots for his second victory of the season. He has all eight career wins for the Spiders.
The Richmond defense once again came up big, forcing 13 turnovers and holding Rutgers to an 0-for-5 day when it had a man-up advantage.
The Spiders offense played unselfishly, as 10 players amassed the 22 points in the game. Eight different Spiders scored a goal, led by Goldberg’s five and the third career hat trick for sophomore J.P. Forester (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), who tallied his three goals on eight shots.
Goldberg tied his own school record (shared by Brad Burnam) of six points in a game. He led the team with six hat tricks last season. Goldberg has scored a goal and a point in a career-best eight straight games.
The third multi-goal scorer for the Spiders was redshirt senior Mickey Hofmeister (Williamsburg, Virginia / Jamestown HS), who scored twice and assisted on another goal. He has a goal in eight consecutive games and at least a point in his last 16 career contests.
The Spiders’ only other time with consecutive victories was in the Atlantic Sun Tournament last season, as the fourth-seeded UR squad avenged earlier season losses to Mercer and High Point to earn the league’s berth to the NCAA Tournament. Richmond lost regular season games last year to both of its two opponents this season, the Scarlet Knights and the opening-game opponent, Saint Joseph’s.
Richmond’s all-time record in games played at Robins Stadium is now 4-4.
The Spiders will host undefeated Marquette next Sunday at noon. The Golden Eagles are 2-0 after one-goal wins at No. 18 Lehigh and at home over No. 17 Hofstra.
NOTES: The Spiders have seen a student-athlete post a hat trick now 16 times, and this is the fourth time two players have done it in the same game, but just the second time at home… The Spiders are 4-0 when two players total three or more goals… Goldberg has a point in 11-straight games… The seven goals allowed are tied for the third-fewest in a game in the program’s history… With five goals allowed in the opening game, this is the lowest total of goals in a two-game stretch ever given up by the Spiders in their history.
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