Mercer Falls to Bellarmine, 9-7, in Season Opener

Saturday, January 30

Macon, Ga.

11:00 AM

Mercer University

0-1

Bellarmine

1-0

BELL

MER

Photo by: Ben Murray

Mercer Falls to Bellarmine, 9-7, in Season Opener

1/30/2021 1:36:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

It was the Bears’ first game in 327 days.

By: Kraig Doremus

MACON, Ga. – For the first time in 327 days, the Mercer men's lacrosse team took the field as it hosted the Bellarmine Knights. The Bears led at halftime, but ultimately fell, 9-7, in the season opener.

Mercer's contest with Bellarmine was the first NCAA Lacrosse contest of the 2021 season and one of two games scheduled for today. Utah will battle Denver Saturday afternoon.

The Bears' (0-1) Ashton Wood wasted no time putting the home team in front. The Preseason All-Southern Conference selection won the opening faceoff, raced down field and sent his shot past the Knights' Ian Reilly only seven seconds into the game. Daniel Shumake attempted to put the Bears ahead by two goals less than five minutes in, but his shot was saved, and the Knights took possession, working their way downfield to challenge Colin Kelley. Kelley made his first save of the day with 10:04 left in the first quarter, but Bellarmine eventually knotted the score at one with 5:29 left.

Bellarmine (1-0) netted its second goal of the morning when Kyle Playsted sent went one past Kelley prior to the horn sounding on the opening quarter, and after one, the Knights led, 2-1.

Collin Stewart played a role in all three second quarter goals for the Orange & Black, scoring less than a minute into the period and assisting on Will McCarthy's goal after 2:20, which put Mercer ahead, 3-2. Freshman Taylor Dooley found his way into the scoring column with 7:13 until the intermission with the assist coming from Stewart. The Bears' back line held Bellarmine scoreless in the period and survived a scare when Luke Legnard shots caromed off the crossbar. After 30 minutes, Chad Surman's Orange & Black held a 4-2 advantage.

The momentum shifted towards the visitors from Kentucky in the third quarter as they scored four unanswered goals to take a 6-4 lead with 3:18 remaining in the period. Stewart stopped the bleeding for Mercer with a goal off a pass from Parker Junod, and with 87 seconds left Patrick Marks converted to tie the contest at six heading into the final quarter.

Mercer was unable to take advantage of a 60-second extra man opportunity to start the fourth. Bellarmine scored with only 12:38 and 10:30 remaining in the game to take an 8-6 lead before Nick Rockefeller made it one-goal contest only seconds after the seven-minute mark. Trailing 8-7, the Bears surrendered one final goal to the Knights and came up empty on each of their final three shots, dropping the contest by a 9-7 score.

Stewart led the Bears with two goals and a pair of assists. Mercer held a 31-29 advantage in shots and placed 17 shots on target compared to 15 for the Knights. Wood was nearly automatic, winning 18-of-19 face-offs. Mercer had 31 miscues while Bellarmine had only 22. The visiting Knights held a 17-14 advantage in caused turnovers.

NOTABLES

The game was the first official contest of the NCAA Lacrosse season and one of two on the schedule for opening day.
Stewart has scored goals in six of his eight career appearances.
Stewart now has five career assists. Three of those assists happened in first collegiate game last season vs. Florida Tech.
McCarthy attempted a game-high 10 shots.
Six different Bears found their way into the scoring column while four players recorded an assist.
Mercer allowed Bellarmine to win just one face-off attempt. The previous low for an opponent was Furman's three during the 2018 campaign.
The Bears doubled the Knights in ground balls, 40-20.

UP NEXT
The Bears' second game of the season is set for February 6 against Lenoir-Rhyne at Five Star Stadium at 4 p.m.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter) and @MercerMensLacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.