BRIDGEWATER, Va. – Bridgewater College men’s lacrosse opened strong against Randolph-Macon College on Wednesday, April 22, but a Yellow Jackets’ comeback proved too much as the Eagles fell 15–7.
“I thought we came out really focused and executed really well in the first quarter,” Head Coach Mic Grant said. “We emphasized being ready for their 10-man ride, moving off the ball and taking care of the ball.”
The Eagles got off to a quick start, scoring three goals in the first five minutes, capped by an unassisted goal from sophomore faceoff specialist Colt Short, who won the faceoff and carried the ball the length of the field for the score.
The Yellow Jackets responded with two goals of their own over the next two minutes before the Eagles answered with an unassisted goal from sophomore attacker Jake Wagner.
With the Eagles leading 4–2 with five minutes left in the first period, the Yellow Jackets tied the game with two late goals, including one in the final three seconds.
The Eagles struck first in the second quarter, as senior attacker Luke Wendler scored off an assist from freshman midfielder Tristan Lee to give Bridgewater a 5–4 lead.
“Our off-ball movement worked well for us, and on the defensive side, communication really helped,” Wendler said.
Wendler recorded a “hat trick” or three goals in one game Wednesday and said his recent shooting practice paid off.
From that point on, it was all Yellow Jackets, as Randolph-Macon scored nine unanswered goals spanning the second through fourth quarters to take a 13–5 lead with five minutes remaining.
A five-goal performance from Yellow Jackets senior midfielder Logan Sinsebox fueled Randolph-Macon’s run as they pulled away from the Eagles.
Both teams added two goals in the closing minutes, as the Yellow Jackets secured a 15–7 victory.
“Overall they fought hard and they competed,” Grant said.
The Eagles, who finished the regular season at 10–7 overall with a 4–6 conference record, now sit in seventh place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, turning their attention to preparing for the conference tournament next week.
Grant said the Eagles’ main focus will be taking care of the ball and generating quality shots offensively.
Although the conference tournament schedule has not been released, Grant said he expects the Eagles to face either nationally ranked Washington and Lee University or University of Lynchburg, making possession control a key emphasis.
