Mercer University
Georgia Tech (club team)
Bears Impressive in First-Ever Exhibition Showing
1/29/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
MACON, Ga. – The Mercer University men's lacrosse team took to Bear Field for the first time in program history on Saturday and defeated the visiting Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets club team 16-2 in a preseason exhibition match.
The Bears won't officially open their inaugural 2011 season until February 12 at Ohio St., but on Saturday gave the standing-room-only crowd of 723 fans a preview of what to expect in the team's first season. Mercer looked impressive in allowing just two goals on 23 total shots by Tech. In comparison, the Bears were able to score 16 goals on 56 total shots.
Five Mercer players had multiple goals on the day, showing the signs of an exciting new sport on the Mercer campus. Freshman attacker John Avent led the way for the Bears with four total points (1 G, 3 A)on the day. Attackers Colton Mattei, Alex Baird and midfielders Joey Ugast, Sam Grayson and Taylor Coughlin all had two in their first match
MU led from beginning to end on Saturday, getting on the board at the 8:11 mark in the first quarter. Avent put his well-timed shot past Yellow Jackets goalie Sam Karpowicz and the Bears would not look back.
The Orange and Black would add six more to take 7-0 lead before Tech could get on the board and end the shutout with just over three minutes remaining in the second quarter. The Bears' first seven goals were scored by seven different players.
Again the Bears defense left the Yellow Jackets scoreless in the
third quarter and had 18 caused turnovers in the match. Four
goaltenders also saw action against Tech, with the freshman from
Port Charlotte, Florida Dillon Volk receiving the win
for the Bears. Volk had eight total stops on the day.
Mercer would get a game-high five goals in third to move the score to 12-1 going into the final quarter. Tech would score just two minutes into the final quarter before Mercer ended the game on another four-goal streak.
The Bears host Suwanee next Saturday at 1 p.m. as a final exhibition tune-up for their season opener at Ohio St. on Feb. 12. Mercer will have their inaugural home opener against VMI on Wednesday, Feb. 16.
