BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - - A second quarter swing turned the game around for the Wilmington University men's lacrosse team, as a strong second half saw the Wildcats take down Bridgeport, 19-9, in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action on Saturday at Knights Field.
Trailing 6-4 with 10:49 to play in the second quarter, the Wildcats (3-3, 2-0 CACC) scored four straight goals before going into the halftime break with an 8-7 lead. They then scored all seven of the third quarter goals to distance themselves from the Purple Knights (2-5, 0-2 CACC).
Bridgeport scored the final two goals of the first quarter to take a 3-2 lead after the opening 15-minutes. The home team then scored the first two goals of the second quarter to extend their lead out to 5-2 with 13:22 to play in the half. Kyle Parker and Gavin Paraschak scored to bring the Wildcats to within a goal, but Bridgeport answered with a goal 45 seconds later to regain a two-goal lead, 6-4, with 10:49 left in the quarter.
Josh Weston started a 4-0 run for the Wildcats with his only goal of the night. Carter Earl scored 36 seconds later to tie the game, 6-6, and then Andrew Dzubak gave the Wildcats the lead for good with a goal from West with 8:12 to play. Josh Lovely made it a 4-0 lead with his first of the game with 1:45 showing on the clock, giving the Wildcats an 8-6 lead. The Purple Knights scored right before the buzzer, but the Wildcats went into the break with an 8-7 lead.
The third quarter was all Wilmington, as they scored all seven goals. Cater Earl started the scoring with his second of the game with 12:57 on the clock. Paraschak scored the next three goals for the Wildcats before Andrew Dzubak sandwiched goals around a Layton Avant tally, giving the Wildcats a 15-7 lead after three quarters.
Josh Lovely made it an 8-0 run with a goal to start the fourth before Bridgeport ended its drought with a goal to make it 16-8 with 12:10 to play. Dzubak, Avant, and Paraschak scored in the fourth, settling on the final score of 19-9.
The Wildcats lost the battle at the face-off spot, 19-10, but they used 28 Bridgeport turnovers to outshoot the Purple Knights, 46-34. The Wildcats had 22 caused turnovers in the game, led by Julian Businsky's five, and four from both Dzubak and Quinn Tracy.
The Wildcats put their three-game winning streak on the line next weekend when they welcome Lake Erie to the WU Athletics Complex. The Wildcats and Storm will play on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.