The Virginia Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team (7-9, 4-5 ODAC) defeated conference opponent Averett 18-7.
Patrick Ruffolo led the team with seven goals, one assist, with 15 shots, and one ground ball,
Sebastian Reynolds had a good game scoring three goals, three assists, on eight shots with a ground ball, and
Parker Lucas registered two goals, two assists, with seven shots, with one ground ball, and caused one turnover.
Zack Tucker recorded the win, played 48:32 minutes, allowed three goals, and made nine saves.
Virginia Wesleyan jumped out to a commanding lead in the first quarter, netting five straight goals to open the contest.
George Psaltis got the Marlins on the board early with a goal at 14:06, assisted by
Parker Lucas.
Patrick Ruffolo added two unassisted goals and later connected with Lucas again for his third tally of the period. Sebastien Reynolds also contributed with an unassisted goal. Averett responded late in the quarter trimming the deficit to 5–1.
The second quarter saw both teams trading goals, but Virginia Wesleyan maintained control. Psaltis opened the frame with another goal, this time unassisted. Averett answered with a solo effort, but the Marlins rattled off three more goals before halftime.
Daniel Auxier, Ruffolo, and Lucas each found the back of the net, with Reynolds collecting two assists during the stretch. Virginia Wesleyan carried a 9–2 lead into the break.
Virginia Wesleyan's offense stayed hot in the third quarter, continuing to widen the gap.
Ben Andrews scored twice unassisted, while Lucas added another goal off a pass from Ruffolo. Hulbert briefly halted the run with his second goal for Averett, but the Marlins answered with four more goals to close the quarter. Ruffolo scored twice—once assisted by Cooper Seider—and Auxier and Andrews each added another, extending the lead to 15–3.
The fourth quarter was more evenly matched, though the early minutes favored Virginia Wesleyan once again. Ruffolo and Reynolds both scored man-up goals, pushing the lead to 17–3. Averett mounted a late rally, scoring three unanswered goals to cut into the deficit. Reynolds added one final goal for the Marlins to secure an 18-7 victory.
