Lehigh’s men’s lacrosse team scored five unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to clinch a 13-10 win over Navy in the conference opener at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday. With this victory, Lehigh improved to 3-1 (1-0 Patriot League), while Navy dropped to 3-3 (0-1 Patriot League).
The game saw both teams battle it out fiercely, but it was Lehigh who took control in the final quarter. Navy head coach Joe Amplo congratulated the Lehigh team and praised his own team’s performance. He stated that his team played with energy and focus and had a bright future ahead. He added that they needed to learn how to win more and execute better.
After a low-scoring first half, Navy took the lead in the third quarter by scoring the first three goals. Lehigh responded by capitalizing on a conduct penalty on the Navy bench and scored four consecutive goals, three of which were scored with Patrick Skalniak, Navy’s co-captain, being treated for an injury. Navy regained composure and evened the score by the end of the third frame, but Lehigh took control in the fourth quarter with a four-goal run.
Xavier Arline scored four goals for Navy, while Mac Haley, Max Hewitt, and Patrick Skalniak each scored two goals and added an assist. The defense recorded a season-high 12 caused turnovers led by Jackson Bonitz, AJ Hernandez, and Zach Snider. Goalie Pat Ryan made 10 saves.
Lehigh’s attack line of Christian Mule, Justin Tiernan, and Scott Cole finished with 15 points – 8 goals and 7 assists – to pace the Mountain Hawks. Freshman Richard Checo recorded a team-high 5 caused turnovers and added an assist, and Nick Pecora made 16 saves.
Navy will take on Colgate next Saturday, while Lehigh will face Boston University.