Mercer University
Jacksonville
Bears Drop 16-5 Decision to Jacksonville
3/10/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Mercer men's lacrosse team failed to score more than two goals in any quarter of Saturday's 16-5 loss to Jacksonville at D.B. Milne Field.
The loss moves the Bears to 0-7 on the year while the Dolphins improved to 3-3. Saturday's meeting was the first between the two schools in lacrosse as both are members of the Atlantic Sun in most every other varsity sport.
For the fifth-straight game the Bears were held scoreless in one of four quarters against the Dolphins. Mercer failed to tally a goal in the first quarter against the JU and would score just five total in the game. The five goals scored on Saturday were tied for the second fewest on the year for the Bears.
Sophomore Justin Bateman, who received his first start of the season against Holy Cross, allowed all 16 goals while making just eight saves on the day. JU set the tone by jumping out to a 4-0 lead before sophomore Nate Link could put the Bears on the board at the 12:24 mark of the second quarter.
JU had just seven more shots in the game (34-27) but held the obvious advantage in scoring opportunities against the Bears.
Sophomore Zack Ward added his team-leading tenth goal of the season with under seven minutes to play in the first half to make the score 6-2. Ward also tallied a pair of assists in the game and now has 17 total points.
Jacksonville rattled off two to end the first half and then scored the two of the second half to quickly put the game out of reach 10-2 by the 4:45 mark of the third quarter. Mercer's Timmy Geran scored his first of the season to put the Bears on the board in the third quarter, but Mercer trailed 11-3 after three.
In the fourth Mercer recorded its only back-to-back goals of the game, but it was too little too late as Brett Eisenmann and Alfonso Sciacchitano both scored with less than 10 minutes to play. By that time, the two Mercer goals closed the gap to 15-5 and the Dolphins would round out the scoring with just over three to play in the game.
The Bears again have a short turnaround before welcoming in Manhattan for 3 p.m. game on Tuesday afternoon from Bear Field.
