Written by Sports Information Student Assistant, Jake Sipes-Salter

HANOVER, Ind. - The Hanover men's lacrosse team secured its first win under head coach Jeff Roberts Tuesday evening with a 19-8 road triumph over the Adrian (Mich.) Bulldogs.

The first quarter began with a trio of scores for Adrian (0-2), and with 6:20 left to play in the period the score was 3-0 in favor of the Bulldogs. The Panthers (1-1) would end the period on a 2-1 run thanks to a pair of scores from senior Bret Schell (Dayton, Ohio) that closed the gap to a 4-2 Adrian advantage.

In the second frame, freshman Dirk Meinhart (Elizabethtown, Ky.) hit the back of the net with 12:13 remaining to open scoring. This would prove to be the beginning of a 7-0 run that saw goals from Schell, senior Al Alessia (Crown Point, Ind.), and junior Patrick Boylston (Boca Raton, Fla.). Sophomores Jackson Wheeler (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Justin Wilson (Fishers, Ind.). contributed further to make it 9-4 in favor of the Blue and Red at halftime.

The second half continued on the same note for Hanover, as they outscored the Bulldogs 10-4 for the rest of the way. At the faceoff "x," the Panthers were 18-of-31 on the afternoon including a 15-for-23 mark from Schell. The Blue and Red also got a boost in total shots, registering 49 attempts to 29 for Adrian, with a 20-5 disparity in the critical second period.

Individually, 10 players from HC scored, with Schell leading all scorers with five goals and tied Boylston with six total points. Boylston hit the back of the net twice in the second quarter while adding two dimes in each half for four on the day.

Defensively, Alessia led Hanover with three caused turnovers, while junior Noah Dubrava (Centerville, Ohio) notched seven saves in just over one half of action, picking up his first win of the season. Junior Eric Clay (Wilmington, Del.) scooped up a team-high nine groundballs and added his third collegiate score on the offensive end.

The Blue and Red will next take the field for the second contest of their Winter Break trip against Calvin (Mich.), with gametime set for 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 28.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@hanover.edu