Box Score WILSON, N.C. – The Belmont Abbey men's lacrosse team (5-0, 2-0), ranked No. 4 in NCAA Division II, defeated Barton (1-4, 0-1) by an 18-6 score Tuesday afternoon at the Electric Supply Company Field, the Bulldogs' new synthetic turf field.
The Crusaders' Liam Osborne (Bomanville, Ontario, CANADA) and Noah Haas (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) both scored four goals while Osborne added three assists for seven total points as Belmont Abbey scored six times in both the first and third periods and the visitors stayed more or less in control throughout.
The Bulldogs - playing their first ranked school in team history - received two goals from freshman attacker Mason Chaney (Dunkirk, Md.) and three assists from freshman midfielder Mark Crawford (Chesapeake, Md.) in the losing effort.
The score was tied at two midway through the first period before Belmont Abbey took control by reeling off five straight goals. Belmont Abbey's Sean Hanrahan (Bothell, Wash.) scored the match-winner at the 8:00 mark of the first half as the Crusaders held a 62-33 edge in shots taken and a 37-33 advantage in ground balls.
In goal, Belmont Abbey's Bryce Gifford (Delran, N.J.) stopped 16 shots and earned the win while sophomore Matt Stocks (Endicott, N.Y.) suffered the loss for the Bulldogs despite 17 saves.
Barton remains at home to take on Montevallo on Friday at 3:30 p.m., while Belmont Abbey hosts Rockhurst (N.Y.) in its home opener on Saturday, March 2, at 11:30 a.m.
