VIRGINIA BEACH -- Balanced offense sparked Virginia Wesleyan College's men's lacrosse team to 16-3 non-conference victory over the Ferrum College Panthers Saturday on Foster Field at the Trinder Center.

Nine Marlins scored at least one goal each as Virginia Wesleyan (7-5) dominated from start to finish.  After building a 6-0 halftime lead on Ferrum (6-6), the Marlins broke the game open with a 10-goal second half, including seven in the final quarter.

Juniors Adam Nycz (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois) (left) and Travis Puls (Ellicott City, Md./Baltimore Mt. St. Joseph) (right)  led the scoring for the Marlins with four and three goals, respectively.  Both players hit scoring milestones, as Nycz' four goals increased his season total to 34, while Puls' improved his season total to 28...each a career high.

Nycz started the scoring for VWC, recording an unassisted goal with 10:36 remaining in the first quarter.  The Marlins scored the next eight goals to take command, before Dylan Burdick (Stafford, Va./Mountain View) put the Panthers on the scoreboard with 5:54 remaining in the third quarter.

Burdick scored again for Ferrum after a Marlin goal by Puls to make it a 10-2 score with 13:06 remaining in the game.  But, Virginia Wesleyan took control once again and tacked on six more goals, including two from senior Nick Northern (Fredericksburg, Va./Colonial Forge),before Ferrum found its third goal.  Eric Dorsey (Lorton, Va./South County) scored that one for the Panthers with 17 seconds on the scoreboard.

Virginia Wesleyan finished with big advantages,  57-25  in shots and 51-38 in ground balls.  Junior Mike Tibbs (Baltimore, Md./Northeast) and Nycz picked up seven grounders each for the Marlins.  The Marlins also won 13 of 20 face-offs, led by sophomore Mikey Connors (Horseheads, N.Y./Horseheads) with 10.

Virginia Wesleyan used four goalies, starting with senior Tyler Keech (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty), who recorded six saves in a little more than 52 minutes.  A.J. Smith (Ijamsville, Md./Urbana), Quinn Magner (Chevy Chase, Md./Blue Ridge, Va.), and Corey Bauer (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) also saw time in front of the goal for VWC.  Bauer recorded three saves.

Josh Liptak (Cary, N.C./Athens Drive) was in goal for the majority of the game for Ferrum and recorded 15 saves.  Damian Pulos (Springfield, Va./Robert E. Lee) had one save in the final 7:44.

VWC competes again on Wednesday, Apr. 13, hosting Hampden-Sydney College at 6 p.m. in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference contest.  Both teams are currently 2-2 in the conference and tied for third place.

--AMDG--