ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - The No. 17 Swarthmore College men's lacrosse team triumphed at Elizabethtown College, 15-11, to open the season with its fourth-straight victory on Saturday.
Ryder Maston exploded for six goals to lead the Garnet past the Blue Jays. The senior matched a career-high in goals, including four second-half scores that made a crucial impact in a tight game. Owen Hoffman also registered a hat trick, contributing four goals, while Rex Mabbs added a pair.
Drew Tyson earned the victory between the pipes, making a game-high 10 saves. Maston also paced the team with three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Garnet got off to a quick start on the road, tallying the opening three goals of the contest. Hoffman started the scoring with a strike in the opening three minutes, while Maston followed with a goal just 20-seconds later. Towards the end of the stanza, Andrew Stodden chimed in with the team's third-unanswered score. The Blue Jays would add one goal in the final minute of the quarter, finding the back of the net with 13-seconds left.
- Elizabethtown scored early in the second quarter to pull within a single goal. However, Hoffman quickly got his squad back on track with his second goal of the contest, before completing his hat trick with 8:27 left in the second. Maston also mixed in his second goal with an assist from Owen George, before Mabbs buried a strike for the team's fourth-unanswered tally. Elizabethtown capped off the opening half with one final goal, but entered intermission at a 7-3 deficit.
- Only 13 seconds into the third quarter, Maston capped off his hat trick with a goal. However, momentum flipped towards the Blue Jays, who rattled off four-straight goals to pull within one score. Maston settled things down with a much-needed response, before Elizabethtown added one more in the final seconds to put pressure back on the Garnet, 9-8.
- Nolan Ohrman gave his squad some breathing room with the opening tally of the fourth quarter. The Garnet then found their groove, scoring five of the next six goals to put away their challenger. Mabbs, Hoffman and Emmett Harris kickstarted the rally, while Maston closed the door with back-to-back scores. Elizabethtown would attempt to claw back with two-straight goals to close the game, but it wasn't enough to overcome Swarthmore's late scoring.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Maston 6
Goals: Maston 6
Assists: George 2
Shots: Maston 12
Ground balls: Maston 3
Caused turnovers: Maston 2
Saves: Tyson 10
UP NEXT
The Garnet (4-0) wrap up a two-game road swing at Stockton University on Wednesday.
