Bears Drop Heartbreaker To Bellarmine

Saturday, April 12

Louisville, Ky.

12 p.m.

Mercer University

2-9, 1-2ASUN

Bellarmine

7-7, 1-2ASUN

Mercer

Bellarmine

4/12/2025 4:12:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

By: Kaylin Flukey, Kaylin.flukey@live.mercer.edu

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After falling 2-0 in the first five minutes of play, the Bears did not trail throughout the entirety of the game until Bellarmine put together a fourth-quarter surge to take the lead and defeat the Bears 17-14 this afternoon in Louisville, Ky.

Dillon Bush put on a show in the first half, registering six goals and added one more in the third quarter for a new career-high of seven goals. Michael Frederick posted a hat trick with four goals and led the Bears with four groundballs while Jack Sullivan found the back of the net once with three assists. The remaining two goals for the Bears came from Dylan McKelvy and Ganon Cope. Between the pipes for Mercer, Rand Paddack recorded 13 saves.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Knights got off to a hot start scoring back-to-back goals to open play until Bush found the back of the net three times in a row to give the Bears their first lead of the game. Frederick followed up with a goal of his own and Bellarmine recorded another goal before heading into the second quarter.
Bush continued to make a statement in the second quarter with three more goals, including a buzzer beater to give Mercer a 7-6 lead heading into halftime despite Bellarmine's three goals.
Mercer continued to carry the momentum into the third quarter with Frederick and McKelvy extending the lead 9-6. The Knights responded with three goals of their own but not before Bush scored for the seventh time alongside Sullivan and Cope who snagged their lone goals of the contest.
The Bears entered the fourth quarter with a 12-10 lead but Bellarmine came to life in the fourth quarter scoring seven goals compared to Mercer's two, including four goals in the last six minutes of play to pull away from the Bears earning their first win of conference play.

TOP BEARS

Dillon Bush recorded a career-high seven goals, six in the first half.
Michael Frederick posted his second hat trick of the season with four goals.
Jack Sullivan, Will Zylstra and Kade McNeil all registered multiple assists on the afternoon.

NOTABLES

Bush keeps his scoring streak alive, scoring at least one goal in all 11 contests this season.
The Knights move to 7-7 on the season and earn their first win of conference play.

UP NEXT

The Bears are back home at Five Star Stadium on Saturday, April 19 for Senior Day against Air Force at noon.

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