HANOVER, Ind. -- Ben Ward (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) scored five goals as the Washington & Jefferson men's lacrosse team opened Ohio River Lacrosse Conference play with a 7-6 win at Hanover.

The victory improves the Presidents to 2-4 overall this season while the Tigers drop to 1-6.

Nine of the game's 13 goals were scored in the first half, with W&J holding a 3-2 lead after 15 minutes, but trailing 5-4 after two periods.

Ward answered Hanover's game-opening score when he found the back of the net for the first time on the day at 8:42 of the first period. The hosts would re-capture the lead just under three minutes later at 5:44, but the final two markers of the first quarter were off the sticks of Presidents with Pat Heidecker (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg Area) scoring at 3:00 to tie the game at 2-2 and Ward's second score just beating the clock at the end quarter.

The second frame saw the home team score three goals over the first 6:26 to open up a 5-3 lead. Ward hung his third goal of the afternoon on the board at 2:59 of the second quarter, which would prove to be the final score of the first half.

Both goals in the second quarter were by Presidents. Rocco Ruscitto (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) knotted the game at 5-5 at the 12:09 mark with an unassisted goal and Ward finished a pass from Bryan Whipkey (Poland, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney) with 5:34 showing in the quarter to give W&J the lead back for good. Early in the fourth quarter, Whipkey again connected with Ward for an insurance goal which would stand up as the game-winner as Hanover struck to get back within one goal with under four minutes remaining.

Shots were nearly identical as Hanover registered 38 and W&J fired off 37. Ward tied for the game high with 11 shots, with Heidecker rattling off 10. Goalie Noah Cohen (Hewlett, N.Y./George W. Hewlett) led the Presidents with six ground ball pick-ups, with Ruscitto and Joseph Tritschler (New Kensington, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) each snagging four.

Cohen made 14 saves in goal to pick up his second win.
 
W&J returns to action on Monday, March 20 when it travels to Wooster for a 7 p.m. nonconference match.