Big Scorers for Alma too much for Crusaders in Home Opener
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas men's lacrosse team dropped its home opener on Saturday to Alma College (1-0) in a 12-6 final. After allowing eight unanswered to the Scots, Dallas (1-3) posted two-of-three goals to trail at halftime 9-2. The Crusaders did battle hard in the second half to earn a 4-3 scoring advantage during that span.
NOTABLE STATISTICS
(Individual Notes)
- Peter Early (San Antonio, Texas) notched season-highs in goals (3) and points (5) on the day. Early has assisted twice in the past two games and earned his first hat trick of the campaign.
- Tyler Smith (Snoqualmie, Wash.), who scored his first collegiate goal earlier this week, followed that performance with a pair of goals and an individual high six groundballs. Smith also won all seven Crusader faceoffs.
- Ben Blessard (Falls Church, Va.) added a goal and assist.
- Christian Lopez (Las Vegas, Nev.) saved 18 shots and picked up five groundballs.
- Daniel Buchy (5), Jared Nycz (3), and Jake Ellens (3) carried most of the heavy load for the offense in goals. Nycz added six assists. The trio combined for 38-of-62 shots for the Scots.
- David Smith won for Alma in the goal with five saves through 60 minutes.
(Team Notes)
- Dallas was outshot 62-18.
- The Crusaders did take advantage in man-up scenarios with 3-of-5 coming in the 4th quarter.
- Alma won the groundballs 40-28 and forced the home team into 21 turnovers.
- The Scots were 21-for-23 in clears, while Dallas went 12-for-26.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dallas kept the game scoreless through near the midway point of the first quarter. At 8:34, Ellens broke the tie on an unassisted goal. Nycz found Chase Hunyadi about a minute and a half later to double the edge, and then Nycz scored his second point on a goal to round out the scoring in the first with a little over a minute to go.
In the second quarter, the visitors carried the momentum with a surge of three goals in nearly a minute span (13:02-11:55). The team's top pair of players in points, Nycz and Buchy, combined for five points with Buchy garning one on each scoring result. The run for the Scots continued until Buchy's hat trick at 8:14 made it 8-0.
Early ended the unanswered streak with his third goal of the season, but first since the season opener against Fontbonne University with about six to play. Buchy tallied his 4th goal of the frame and Smith countered back to make it 9-2 with 2:47.
Defense dominated the first 17 and a half minutes of the second stanza, as Early scored the only goal by either side at 4:43 in the third quarter. Blessard and Early each took turns finding each other, on man-up goals early in the 4th quarter to reduce the margin to 9-5. At 10:24, the Scots found the back of the cage for the first goal of the second half by their leading scorer. Ellens secured his hat trick and the team's third with the final two goals on the visitor's side of the scoreboard. Nycz assisted every scoring play that half and had the team's last four assists on just as many goals.
UP NEXT
Dallas plays a rescheduled contest Tuesday at Dallas Baptist University. Game is set to begin at 7 p.m.