The Virginia Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team (10-5, 4-4 ODAC) earned a hard-fought 9-7 victory over Bridgewater (Va.) on Saturday evening at home in Virginia Beach. In a tightly contested matchup, the Marlins used a strong fourth quarter to secure the Senior Day win.
Ethan Smith and
Miles Fuehler led the offensive effort with two goals apiece, while
Anthony Blackburn,
Ben Andrews,
Johnny Hollinshead,
Maddox Coelho, and
Zachary Dupill each added a goal in a balanced scoring performance.
Virginia Wesleyan struck first on an unassisted goal by Blackburn, but Bridgewater responded to take a 2-1 lead late in the opening quarter. Coelho evened the score before the end of the period, sending the teams into the second quarter tied 2-2.
The Marlins gained momentum in the second quarter, with goals from Dupill and Hollinshead giving Virginia Wesleyan a 4-2 advantage heading into halftime.
After Fuehler extended the lead early in the third quarter, Bridgewater answered with three consecutive goals to tie the game at 5-5, setting up a decisive final period.
Virginia Wesleyan rose to the occasion in the fourth quarter, opening with four straight goals from Smith, Andrews, Smith again, and Fuehler to take control of the game at 9-5. Bridgewater added two late goals, but the Marlins held firm down the stretch to secure the victory.
With the win, Virginia Wesleyan improves to 10-5 overall and evens its conference record at 4-4. The Marlins will look to build on the momentum as they continue ODAC play. Virginia Wesleyan returns to action on Saturday, April 18 at 1:00 PM on the road against Guilford College.
