WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson men's lacrosse team was unable to overcome a slow start in an 18-5 home loss to Alfred on Saturday afternoon at Alexandre Stadium. 

With the loss, the Presidents fall to 1-3 overall this season and 0-2 at home. The Saxons are 2-0 to begin 2019, winning both games by double-digits.

What sunk W&J today was Alfred's strong first quarter, where they scored all seven goals in the stanza. The Saxons' opening to the game helped them secure a 53-26 advantage in shots and a 36-21 lead in shots on goal. 

Pacing the Presidents' offense today was freshman Alex Strain (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper Saint Clair) with two goals. The rookie leads W&J this season with 14 points and 11 goals. 

Pat Brunner (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) and Mark Mandak (Enola, Pa./Trinity) joined Strain with two points, as both had one goal and one assist. Brunner is tied with Benjamin Ward (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) with 10 points on the season, both having seven goals and three assists. 

In cage, Noah Cohen (Hewlett, N.Y./George W. Hewlett) played just over 56 in a start and made 17 saves. Brody Alloway (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) subbed in the fourth and made one stop. 

The Presidents will conclude their current three-game homestand on Wednesday, March 6, with a 7 p.m. showdown against Hood.