Buena Vista, VA – The Vassar College Men's Lacrosse team opened its spring break trip in convincing fashion on Wednesday afternoon, topping Southern Virginia by a score of 25-7. Sophomore
Gavin Arcuri (Westhampton, NY) and senior
Jack Rufa (New Milford, CT) each finished the tilt with six points.
Wednesday's win pushes Vassar to 4-1 overall on the season and the 25 goals mark the most in a game against a four-year opponent in program history. The Brewers also potted 25 goals against the Community College of New York on March 31, 2001.
How It Happened
- After allowing a player-up goal in the opening minute, Vassar took control of the game with eight first quarter goals.
- Rufa knotted the score at 1-1 at the 131:24 mark of the first quarter and started a nine-goal scoring run for the Brewers.
- Arcuri produced a hat trick over the scoring run and added an assist with Patrick Egg (Pittstown, NJ) scoring twice.
- Rufa scored his second of the game, and the team's ninth straight goal, to open the second quarter scoring and move the Brewers in front 9-1.
- Vassar added a 4-0 run between two Southern Virginia goals in the second frame to head into the intermission with a 13-2 advantage.
- Rufa scored a player-up goal with 1:41 left in the quarter to cap the run and Anderson Eads (Brightwaters, NY) scored twice and assisted on the Rufa marker to spark the run.
- Vassar picked up right where it left off coming out of halftime, putting away eight more goals in the third quarter to take a 21-5 lead into the final 15 minutes.
- The Brewers scored the first three goals of the third frame, getting two from Arcuri, and Rufa potted back-to-back goals just under two minutes apart to move Vassar in front 18-4.
- Vassar closed the third frame with tallies from Jordan Roesch (San Diego, CA), Tate Tinker (Lexington, KY) and Nate Johnson (Brentwood, TN) inside the final eight minutes of the period.
- The fourth quarter featured Shane O'Hara's (Warrenton, VA) ninth goal of the season, Gunnar Olsen's (Lake Oswego, OR) second marker of the year and the first tallies from Declan McGrath (Watertown, CT) and Liam Gaugler (Cold Spring, NY).
For The Brewers
- Arcuri moved into the team lead in goals with 11 following a five-goal day and pushed his team lead in points to 18 after adding an assist. Arcuri finished off a big day with four groundballs and a caused turnover.
- Rufa pushed his goal total to 10 on the season after potting five markers on Wednesday and added his first helper of the season.
- Eads and Egg each finished the victory with two goals and an assist.
- Hayden Stoltzfoos (Tampa, FL) tallied twice and collected a groundball.
- O'Hara and Drew Mazzocco (Leesburg, VA) each recorded a goal and two assists to go along with two groundballs.
- Roesch and Olsen both posted a goal and an assist for the Brewers.
- Kieran Chai-Onn (Rockville, MD) and Matteo Roman (Arlington, VA) both anchored the defense with two caused turnovers and a groundball.
- First Year Landon Silverstein (Deer Park, NY) was an efficient 13-for-15 in face-offs and led the team with eight groundballs.
- Eli Sherman (San Francisco, CA) won eight face-offs and secured five groundballs.
- Drew Quinn (Garden City, NY) finished with four saves in goal in just under 33 minutes of work.
- Andrew Timson (Babylon, NY) played the final 27:10 and turned aside a pair of shots.
For The Knights
- Peyton Merwin scored twice for Southern Virginia and led the team with six shots.
- Kanyun Avner collected three groundballs and forced a turnover.
- Ben Sluga won four face-offs and secured three groundballs.
- Forest Ambridge won four face-offs, picked up two groundballs and scored a goal.
- Jace Lightfoot made 11 saves in goal for the Knights and led the team with four groundballs.
Game Statistics
- Vassar held a convincing 68-26 advantage in shots in the game.
- The Brewers dominated face-offs, 26-9.
- Groundballs went to Vassar by a 48-23 margin.
- Vassar was an efficient 15-for-16 in clears.
- Southern Virginia went 11-for-19 in clearing chances.
- The Brewers finished the win 3-for-5 with the player-advantage.
What's Next
- Vassar will take on St. Mary's-Maryland on Saturday afternoon.
- Southern Virginia opens play in the USA South on Saturday at Pfeiffer.
