Saturday, March 16
Macon, GA
12:00 PM
Air Force Academy
5-2, 1-0
20
at
8
Mercer
0-7, 0-1
1
2
3
4
F
Air Force
10
3
3
4
20
Mercer
2
1
0
5
8
Photo by: Guy Grindberg
Falcon Lacrosse Routs Mercer in SoCon Opener, 20-8
3/16/2019 2:08:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Trey Lervick led Air Force lacrosse with career-high nine-point performance and his fourth hat trick this season
MACON, Ga. - Air Force made a statement in its return to Southern Conference play, blowing by the Mercer Bears, 20-8, Saturday afternoon at Five Star Stadium. Senior attack man Trey Lervick led the Falcons with a career-high nine-points via five goals and four assists. Air Force improves to a 5-2 overall mark while the Bears remain winless (0-7) in the 2019 campaign.
The Falcons got it going early and often, plugging in 10 goals in the first quarter while the Bears were only able to score twice in the first 15 minutes. Senior co-team captain Cameron Carter was a man possessed as he tallied four assists in the Falcons' first four goals. Carter finished with a career-high six assists on the day --he leads Air Force with 11 assists this season.
Freshman attack man August Johnson was the first to light the scoreboard just 55-seconds into the meeting. The Colorado Springs, Colorado, native recorded four goals on the game --he's had two four-goal games and three-straight hat tricks in his last three appearances. His 11 goals this season is the second-most on the team.
Tim Baker was next up to score, sending in a ripper just 43-seconds after Johnson's opening goal. Baker finished with two goals on the day, he's got eight goals in three games. Baker also added an assist to his final stat line.
Lervick was the third Falcon to find the back of the net, in what became the beginning of a long day for the Mercer Bears. Lervick, who leads the Falcons with 20 goals this season, put in a career-high five goals on the game. He took a game-high 11 shots with seven coming on frame. When he wasn't scoring, he was helping other Future Leaders of Character find openings in Mercer's defense, tallying a career-high four assists. He collected three ground balls to make his final stat line look like someone's phone number.
Sophomore midfielder Gianni Orlando, another product of Colorado, decided it was his turn to make some noise as he notched two first-quarter goals. They were his first collegiate goals.
Matthew O'Rourk and Matthew Schwartz put their namesake on the score sheet with a goal apiece in the first quarter. O'Rourk added an assist to his goal for a two-point tally on the day.
Kevin Cox and Chet Dunstan put on for the class of 2020 as the junior midfielders recorded a goal apiece. The goals marked Dunstan's second and Cox's first of the season.
Senior leadership decided to make an appearance as senior co-team captain Jack Flynn punched in his first-of-two goals in a man-up opportunity at the 2:46 mark of the first quarter via Lervick's feed. Flynn added his second goal in an unassisted attack in the fourth quarter, finishing with two points and five ground balls. He has eight goals this season.
Air Force outscored Mercer three goals to one in the second quarter and three goals to none in the third quarter. Sophomore goalkeeper Braden Host recorded two caused turnovers and six saves while only allowing three goals in three quarters of action before retiring from the field at the end of the third quarter. Host is 4-2 in the Falcons' cage this season. Freshman keeper Ian Mullins filled the frame as his replacement, he made three saves in the final 15 minutes. Mercer outscored Air Force 5-4 in the final quarter.
Junior middie Kyle Richbourg etched his name on the stat sheet, assisting Lervick in his fifth goal just over a minute into the final quarter. Freshman attack man Cole Grindberg put in the Falcons' 20th goal with 4:06 remaining in the quarter. George Rittenhouse provided Grindberg with the assist for his first career point as a Falcon.
Senior face off specialist Trent Harper was victorious at center-X for his sixth-straight game, winning 16-of-22 attempts (.727) on the day. Harper also picked up a game-high seven ground balls.
Brandon Jones and Quentin Carlile led the defenders with two caused turnovers apiece. Jones collected four ground balls while Carlile and sophomore defender Vince Lombardi picked up three each. Jones leads the squad with 37 ground balls this season. The defense as a whole forced the Bears to turn the ball over 21 times.
Despite the scoring disparity, the Bears managed to take more shots than the Falcons, sending 41 shots to Air Force's 40. It was the shots on goal that proved to be the difference as Air Force put 29 on frame to Mercer's 17. Sean Goldsmith led Mercer with three goals and a team-high eight shots.
Next up, the Falcons travel to Greenville, South Carolina, to take on SoCon foes, Furman, on Saturday, March 23. The Falcons and Paladins are slated for a 12 p.m. ET face-off at Paladin Stadium. On the following Tuesday, Air Force will travel to New Haven, Connecticut, to take on 218 NCAA Champions Yale, 7 p.m. ET, March 26.
The Falcons got it going early and often, plugging in 10 goals in the first quarter while the Bears were only able to score twice in the first 15 minutes. Senior co-team captain Cameron Carter was a man possessed as he tallied four assists in the Falcons' first four goals. Carter finished with a career-high six assists on the day --he leads Air Force with 11 assists this season.
Freshman attack man August Johnson was the first to light the scoreboard just 55-seconds into the meeting. The Colorado Springs, Colorado, native recorded four goals on the game --he's had two four-goal games and three-straight hat tricks in his last three appearances. His 11 goals this season is the second-most on the team.
Tim Baker was next up to score, sending in a ripper just 43-seconds after Johnson's opening goal. Baker finished with two goals on the day, he's got eight goals in three games. Baker also added an assist to his final stat line.
Lervick was the third Falcon to find the back of the net, in what became the beginning of a long day for the Mercer Bears. Lervick, who leads the Falcons with 20 goals this season, put in a career-high five goals on the game. He took a game-high 11 shots with seven coming on frame. When he wasn't scoring, he was helping other Future Leaders of Character find openings in Mercer's defense, tallying a career-high four assists. He collected three ground balls to make his final stat line look like someone's phone number.
Sophomore midfielder Gianni Orlando, another product of Colorado, decided it was his turn to make some noise as he notched two first-quarter goals. They were his first collegiate goals.
Matthew O'Rourk and Matthew Schwartz put their namesake on the score sheet with a goal apiece in the first quarter. O'Rourk added an assist to his goal for a two-point tally on the day.
Kevin Cox and Chet Dunstan put on for the class of 2020 as the junior midfielders recorded a goal apiece. The goals marked Dunstan's second and Cox's first of the season.
Senior leadership decided to make an appearance as senior co-team captain Jack Flynn punched in his first-of-two goals in a man-up opportunity at the 2:46 mark of the first quarter via Lervick's feed. Flynn added his second goal in an unassisted attack in the fourth quarter, finishing with two points and five ground balls. He has eight goals this season.
Air Force outscored Mercer three goals to one in the second quarter and three goals to none in the third quarter. Sophomore goalkeeper Braden Host recorded two caused turnovers and six saves while only allowing three goals in three quarters of action before retiring from the field at the end of the third quarter. Host is 4-2 in the Falcons' cage this season. Freshman keeper Ian Mullins filled the frame as his replacement, he made three saves in the final 15 minutes. Mercer outscored Air Force 5-4 in the final quarter.
Junior middie Kyle Richbourg etched his name on the stat sheet, assisting Lervick in his fifth goal just over a minute into the final quarter. Freshman attack man Cole Grindberg put in the Falcons' 20th goal with 4:06 remaining in the quarter. George Rittenhouse provided Grindberg with the assist for his first career point as a Falcon.
Senior face off specialist Trent Harper was victorious at center-X for his sixth-straight game, winning 16-of-22 attempts (.727) on the day. Harper also picked up a game-high seven ground balls.
Brandon Jones and Quentin Carlile led the defenders with two caused turnovers apiece. Jones collected four ground balls while Carlile and sophomore defender Vince Lombardi picked up three each. Jones leads the squad with 37 ground balls this season. The defense as a whole forced the Bears to turn the ball over 21 times.
Despite the scoring disparity, the Bears managed to take more shots than the Falcons, sending 41 shots to Air Force's 40. It was the shots on goal that proved to be the difference as Air Force put 29 on frame to Mercer's 17. Sean Goldsmith led Mercer with three goals and a team-high eight shots.
Next up, the Falcons travel to Greenville, South Carolina, to take on SoCon foes, Furman, on Saturday, March 23. The Falcons and Paladins are slated for a 12 p.m. ET face-off at Paladin Stadium. On the following Tuesday, Air Force will travel to New Haven, Connecticut, to take on 218 NCAA Champions Yale, 7 p.m. ET, March 26.
Team Stats
AFA
MER
Shots
40
41
Turnovers
14
21
Caused Turnovers
10
4
Faceoffs Won
19
13
Extra-Man Opps
5
4
Ground Balls
39
35
Game Leaders
G
5
A
4
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
3
CT
0
G
4
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
5
CT
1
G
2
A
0
FO
-
Pen
-
GB
0
CT
0
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