Mount Olive, N.C. - On a rainy night in the Tar-Heel state, the Newberry Men's Lacrosse team held on to down the nationally ranked Mount Olive Trojans (UMO), 13-12, at Ray McDonald Sports Complex. With the win, Newberry snaps a two-game losing streak and improves to 3-2 (0-1 SAC). With the loss, Mount Olive falls to 3-3 on the season.
ON THE RECORD
"What really stood out was how good of a team we have IF we can put together a full 60 minutes. We showed up for 3 quarters considering it was 11-4 going into the fourth quarter, we need to learn to keep the gas on and not give another team an opportunity to get back into the game. We had a breakdown in the fourth but we will take it as a lesson to get better and put together a full 60." - Head Coach Nick Cotter
RECAP
Sophomore Baker Westmoreland (Charlotte, N.C.) and Junior Curtis Bukta (Ontario, Canada) both recorded their second hat tricks of the season in Tuesday night's win.
Newberry's leading goal-scorer (14) Mac Ryan (Lake Villa, Ill) notched his 13th goal at the 12:44 mark to open up scoring for the Wolves. His teammates sophomore Zach Thompson (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) and Curtis Bukta followed up with goals of their own to put the Scarlet & Gray up, 3-0 with five minutes left in the first. UMO closed the first quarter scoring two unanswered goals to cut the deficit to one, 3-2.
Ryan started the second quarter similar to the first, netting his second goal of the day at the 12:01 mark. Senior Zachary Sunderland (Ontario, Canada) marched down the field just three minutes later to rifle in a shot to go up, 5-2. Bukta wasted no time following up as he posted his second goal of the day 43 seconds later to increase the advantage to four (6-2) for the Wolves. UMO answered with a goal but Newberry's defense held on to head into the halftime break with a three-point lead, 6-3.
The Wolves kept their foot on the gas in the third quarter, outsourcing the Trojans 5-1 to head into the fourth quarter with a dominating, 11-4 advantage.
Things began to heat up in the fourth quarter for both teams though as Mount Olive's Aidan Lolande scored less than a minute into the fourth to cut the lead back to six. Sunderland netted a man-up goal to get his second score of the day and put the Wolves up, 12-6. UMO went on to score three unanswered goals to get within three, 12-9. With the Trojans eying a late comeback, Sophomore goalkeeper Griffin Broad (Wake Forest, N.C.) scooped a ground ball and sprinted the distance to net the Wolves 13th goal with six minutes left in the fourth, 13-9.
UMO Scored three goals in the final five minutes to cut the lead to one with 1:20 left. Sophomore Connor Bates (Boiling Springs, S.C.) won the following faceoff with a ground ball pick up from Bukta to secure the, 13-12 win and get the Wolves first win over a nationally ranked opponent this season.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Newberry Men's Lacrosse team is back in action this Saturday (Mar. 12) as they return home to face the Tusculum Pioneers in their second game of conference play. Faceoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at Setzler Field.
