Bear’s Dominate in Home Opener

Saturday, February 18

Macon, Ga.

12:30 p.m.

Mercer University

1-2

Holy Cross

0-4

CHC23

MER

Photo by: Connor Garrison

2/18/2023 7:43:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

MACON, Ga. – Saturday's win was the first Division I win as head coach for Ryan Danehy. Five unanswered goals in the fourth quarter were the difference Mercer needed in their home opener at Five Star Stadium. Those five goals carried the Bears (1-2) over Holy Cross (0-4) in a 15-6 game on Saturday, February 18.

Freshmen Jack Sullivan's and Freshmen Michael Frederick's six points lead the way for the Bear's offense. And senior attackman Parker Junod would lead the way in goals with four. The Bears also had three players who had hattricks in Saturday's game.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Holy Cross took their only lead of the game at the 12-minute mark of the first quarter. The Bears responded two minutes later with a goal from Parker Junod off the assist from Michael Frederick. A minute later Junod added his second goal of the game off an assist from Jack Sullivan. Five minutes later, Carl Klepper added a man-up goal off the assist from Connor Panebianco.

The Bears battled the Crusaders in the second quarter until Taylor Dooley scored his first goal of the game off the feed from Quinn Kelley. The Bears would add another man-up goal three minutes later from Klepper off another Sullivan assist. The Crusaders would answer a minute later with an unassisted goal. The Bears end the half off hot, with a face-off win from Ashton Wood. Wood would push the ball down the field and find an open Michael Frederick who ripped a 12-yard step-down shot to score his first goal of the game.

The Crusaders would open the scoring in the second half with an unassisted goal from Thomas McIntire. The Bears quickly answered the Crusader's goal with a goal of their own from Connor Panebianco off another feed from Jack Sullivan. The Bears would carry this momentum and score two more goals. The first was from Frederick with the assist from Taylor Dooley. The second goal would complete Parker Junod's Hattrick off the assist from Frederick. The Crusaders would yet again answer with an unassisted goal. The Bears responded quickly with a goal from Taylor Dooley off another assist from Sullivan. The Bears would head into the fourth quarter leading the Crusaders 11-4.

Junod would add his fourth goal of the day to start the scoring for the Bears in the fourth quarter. A minute later Frederick would complete his hattrick. Taylor Dooley would also complete his hat trick with an unassisted goal with five minutes left in the game. Jack Sullivan would find the back of the net for the first time off a man-up goal assisted by Frederick. Frederick was able to find his open teammates three times during Saturday's win. The Bears weren't finished though, two minutes after his first goal, Sullivan would add another this time with a dodge down the alley. The Crusaders continued to fight until the final whistle scoring two more goals to end the game.

Mercer fired 49 shots on the day, with 33 being on frame. Sullivan led the Orange & Black with 10 shots. Wood won 10-of-18 (55.5%) of faceoffs.

Graduate student Connor Purcell led the defense with four caused turnovers. Senior Wesley Chairs would also hold the Crusader's leading point scorer to one goal on the day. The Defense was also able to make a vital stop on a three-minute non-releasable penalty in the third quarter which gave the Bears momentum heading into the fourth. In net, Kelley stopped 8 shots from the Crusader's offensive players.

Next time out, the Bears will host Army. Opening faceoff with Army is set for 11 a.m Saturday February 25 at Five Star Stadium in Macon, Georgia.

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