Belmont, N.C.----The Belmont Abbey College men’s lacrosse team erased a 6-3 halftime deficit by outscoring Wingate University 10-3 in the second half as the Crusaders secured a 13-9 win over the visiting Bulldogs this afternoon at Alumni Field. Both teams are now 2-2 overall on the year. The Crusaders posted six goals to Wingate’s one in the pivotal third quarter.

The Bulldogs took a 4-1 lead 12 minutes into the game, thanks to two early goals by sophomore attack Colin O’Donoghue (Cranberry Township, Pa.). Belmont Abbey sophomore attack Ryan Corrigan (Ellicott City, Md.) scored the second of his three goals to end the first quarter, cutting the Crusader deficit to 4-2.
The Bulldogs tacked on the first two goals of the second quarter to lead 6-2, but sophomore attack Tanner Scharr (Canandiagua, N.Y.) began a streak of five unanswered Abbey goals with a score at the 41-second mark.

Belmont Abbey opened the third quarter on fire, scoring the first four goals of the frame in six minutes. Scharr scored two goals around a tally by sophomore midfield Dan Morrissey (Manhassett, N.Y.). Scharr’s second goal knotted the game at six. BAC senior midfield Nick Boylan (Canandaigua, N.Y.) put the Abbey ahead 7-6 at the 8:06 mark.

Less than a minute later, Wingate sophomore midfield Derek Watts (Winston-Salem, N.C.) scored on an assist from junior midfield Bryan Bayliss (Lorton, Va.) to tie the game at seven, but the Abbey fired right back by scoring the next four goals. Scharr moved the Abbey ahead for good at 8-7 with 6:41 remaining in the third. Fifteen seconds later, senior midfield Brian Watson (Tampa, Fla.) moved the lead to a pair on a feed from Corrigan. That goal was the last of the quarter as the Abbey extended its lead to 9-7.

Corrigan and Boylan opened the fourth with goals in the first four minutes. After a Wingate tally trimmed the lead to 11-8, Morrissey scored the final two goals around a Wingate tally, the last with 47 seconds left, to seal the win.

Scharr finished with four goals, while Morrissey and Corrigan both tallied three. Boylan finished with two and Watson scored once. Morrissey had two assists, while four players tallied one helper each.
Watts and O’Donoghue scored three goals each for the Bulldogs. Three players posted one goal each. Watts had two assists.

Belmont Abbey won the ground ball battle 40-37 and earned 16 face-off wins in 26 attempts. Watson finished 12-of-19 on face-offs with seven ground balls, while Scharr scooped up six. BAC senior goalkeeper Tony Kikola (Baltimore, Md.) worked the first half and made three saves. Crusader junior netminder Merrick Reiland (Raleigh, N.C.) stopped seven shots in the final 30 minutes. Wingate junior goalkeeper Danny Dlugozima (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) made seven saves.

Wingate will make its annual Florida trip next week, visiting two Deep South Conference opponents. The Bulldogs will face Rollins College Monday at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, Wingate will visit Saint Leo University for a 7 p.m. contest. Belmont Abbey will host Dominican University of California Sunday at 2 p.m.

(Special thanks to Belmont Abbey College SID Chris Poore for providing this story.)