Wingate, N.C.----The defending national champion Limestone College men's lacrosse team put together a 12-0 run on the way to an 18-5 NCAA Division II victory over Wingate University Saturday afternoon at Graham Gill Field. Eleven different student-athletes scored goals for the number nine LC Saints.
 
Limestone junior attack Jeremy Burns (Fort Mitchell, Ky.) and redshirt freshman midfielder Cody Solmosy (Farmingville, N.Y.) led the Conference Carolinas members with three goals each. Five Wingate Bulldogs had one goal each.
 
GAME INFORMATION
 
Score: #9 Limestone 18, Wingate 5
Records: Wingate 4-5 overall, Limestone 7-3 overall
Location: Graham Gill Field at the Irwin Belk Track Complex, Wingate, N.C.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
 
-WU junior attack Alex Llerandi (Marietta, Ga.) had one goal and one assist for the Bulldogs.
-Limestone outshot Wingate 51-22, holding the Wingate Bulldogs to only 11 shots in each half.
-Ground balls were even, as the Saints edged the Bulldogs 30-28.
-Limestone won 18-of-27 face-offs. Saints sophomore Dakota Kirsh-Downs (Odenton, Md.) won 17-of-24 face-offs for the visitors.
-The Saints scored three man-up goals in five tries.
-WU redshirt freshman goalie Ryan Ahrens (Austin, Texas) had 11 saves in 60 minutes.
-LC senior goalie Cole Aikens (Novato, Calif.) had 11 saves in 55 minutes. He gave up four goals.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
First Quarter
 
Wingate senior attack Jeremy Sullivan (Crofton, Md.) scored the Bulldogs' first goal at the 7:37 mark, tying the score at 1-1. Sophomore attack Josh Ferentinos (Gaithersburg, Md.) assisted Sullivan on the play. Kirsh-Downs (7:28) and Solmosy (6:25) gave the Saints a two-goal lead one minute later. WU sophomore midfielder Joe Cooper (Raleigh, N.C.) cut Wingate's deficit in half with an unassisted goal at the 3:53 plateau. Limestone led 3-2 after the first 15 minutes.
 
Second Quarter
 
Three different Limestone players scored one goal each to put the Saints up 6-2 at the 6:31 mark. LC junior attack Brian Huyghue (Halifax, Nova Scotia) had one goal and one assist in the 3-0 spurt. Wingate senior attack Seth Grimwood (Huntingtown, Md.) posted an unassisted goal one minute later (5:23) to bring the 'Dogs within three.
 
Bulldog junior midfielder Conor Gronbach (Cary, N.C.) scored on an assist from Llerandi at the 4:41 mark, making the score 6-4 Limestone. The Saints had two goals from Solmosy and a single score from redshirt senior attack Brendan P. Smith (West Islip, N.Y.) to finish the half. Limestone took the 9-4 lead to the halftime locker room.
 
Third Quarter
 
Burns scored twice for the Saints in the third quarter as the visitors pitched a 4-0 shutout.
 
Fourth Quarter
 
Five different players scored one goal each for the Saints in the final frame. Llerandi concluded the day's scoring on an unassisted goal with 88 seconds to play.
 
TURNING POINT
 
Limestone scored three goals in the last four minutes of the second quarter, laying the foundation for a huge second half.
 
NOTABLES
 
-The Saints won the 2017 NCAA Division II national title, starting with an opening round victory over South Atlantic Conference tournament champion Wingate in Gaffney.
-The 2018 Limestone team has won five games in a row by an average of 11.8 goals per game.
 
NEXT ON THE HORIZON

Wingate returns to South Atlantic Conference play Saturday, March 31, hosting Lincoln Memorial at 4 p.m. Limestone will host Mount Olive in a Conference Carolinas game the same day at 12 noon.