WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Washington & Jefferson men's lacrosse concluded the nonconference portion of its 2019 schedule with a 16-12 victory over Kalamazoo on Wednesday evening at Alexandre Stadium.
After picking up the win today, the Presidents head into league play with a 5-4 record. The Hornets, on the other hand, suffered their first loss of the season, as they are now 4-1.
The Red & Black took control of today's game in the first quarter, storming out to a commanding 7-3 advantage.
Alex Strain (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper Saint Clair) and
Pat Brunner (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Saint Joseph) sparked the early surge. Strain tallied three goals in the push, while Brunner had two goals and two assists.
The second quarter also went in favor of the Presidents, 5-2. Both Brunner and
Pat Heidecker (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg Area) scored twice in the second stanza to pace W&J.
Kalamazoo made a rally attempt in the second half, but the Red & Black held on to pick up their fourth consecutive win.
Brunner finished today's contest with a game-high seven points (5g, 2a), the second-highest total of his collegiate career. The sophomore attacker is up to 30 points on the season, which is second on the team.
Strain ended the day with four goals, his fourth consecutive game with multiple scores. The rookie leads the team with 32 points and 24 goals.
Benjamin Ward (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and
Brendan Tribeck (Enola, Pa./Trinity) were next on W&J with three points each. Ward posted two goals and one assist, while Tribeck dished out a trio of assists.
Junior goalie
Noah Cohen (Hewlett, N.Y./George W. Hewlett) made 13 saves in a complete-game effort. Cohen is up to 134 saves on the year, making 10-plus stops in three of the last four games.
The Presidents owned advantages over the Hornets in saves (13-8), turnovers (24-31) and successful clears (17-10). The Red & Black also held the Hornets to 0-10 on the extra-man opportunity.
The Presidents kick off PAC play on Saturday, March 30, with a home 12 p.m. showdown against Chatham at Alexandre Stadium.
