Air Force Academy
Cleveland State
Falcon Lacrosse Soars Past Cleveland State, 16-2
2/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Box Score in PDF 
DENVER, CO - Air Force blew by Cleveland State as nine Falcons registered 16 goals, including two hat trick performances, in the second game of the Pioneer Face-Off Classic, Sunday afternoon, at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium. Air Force improves to 3-2.
The Falcons exploded off the line, registering six goals in the first 15 minutes of play. Chris Walsch was the first to strike with an unassisted goal at the 13:30 mark. Grant Gould followed up with a goal of his own four minutes later. Walsch fed Marcus Ward for the Falcons' third goal of the game.
Brandon Ruditz put the Vikings on the board with a goal from Jared Stepka's feed. Nick Hruby responded with an unassisted goal a minute later. Hruby has registered a goal in every game this season, extending his streak to 17-straight games dating back to last season.
With 3:46 remaining in the first period, the Vikings' Gideon Brockenbrough added an unassisted goal to the scoresheet. It was the last goal Cleveland State scored in the game.
In the final three minutes of the first period, Austin Smith assisted Gould in his second goal, while Cameron Carter added a goal to the scoresheet with nine seconds left in the first period.
Andrew Tien and Matthew Schwartz tallied two more goals for the Falcons in the second period. Smith was credited with his second assist of the game in Schwartz's goal. The Falcons led the Vikings, 8-2, going into halftime.
Air Force dominated the first half of play, taking 24 shots to the Vikings' eight, and picking up 17 ground balls while Cleveland State scooped up eight. Sophomore face-off man Trent Harper won eight of 11 first-half face-offs. Freshman goalkeeper Paxton Boyer registered three saves against eight shots in the first half.
The Falcons imposed their will for the remainder of the game, scoring eight more goals while holding the Vikings at two. Gould registered his first hat trick of the season with an unassisted goal just over a minute into the second half. Ward tallied his second goal of the day at the 12:31 mark of the third period. Hruby assisted Sheamus Larkin with his first goal of the season, extending the Falcons' lead, 11-2.
Schwartz and Walsch connected for two consecutive goals in two minutes to close out the third period. Schwartz was credited with the assists while Walsch registered his second hat trick of the season.
Tien initiated the attack in the fourth period, adding his second goal, seventh of the season, in an unassisted attack at the 12:02 mark. With just over three minutes remaining, Roman Rohrbach tallied his first assist in Schwartz's second goal of the game. Schwartz logged season and career-best marks with his two goals and two assists. Barrett Anigian made the final strike with an unassisted goal at 2:24 remaining. The goal was Anigian's first this season.
At the final whistle, the Falcons dominated the stat sheet. Air Force took 42 shots on the game while the Vikings took 15. Harper led Air Force with 11 of the team's 35 ground balls. Harper also dominated at the centerline, winning 14 of his 17 face-off attempts. Brandon Jones and Schwartz logged two caused turnovers apiece; season-high marks for both players. Boyer faced 15 shots with nine on goal, allowing two goals and making six saves. Fitzhugh Lee tallied a save in the final minute of the game.
The win marks the Air Force's largest margin of victory since beating Mercer, 20-4, in 2012. Air Force registered 31 goals over the weekend, a mark high enough for the Falcons' second most goals scored at a Face-Off Classic under head coach Eric Seremet. Air Force tallied 32 goals in the Face-Off Classic of 2012.
Air Force continues action on the road in Boston, Mass., where they will face-off against Boston University in the programs first meeting, Sat., March 4, at 12:00 p.m. ET.
