Reading, Pa. (Apr. 9, 2022) - Hood College (6-6, 1-3) used seven first-half goals to push past Alvernia University (1-11, 0-4) 10-5 in a MAC Commonwealth men's lacrosse contest Saturday afternoon at Alvernia.

The contest started slow, with both defenses starting the competition strong. The Golden Wolves' offense had an early scoring opportunity when Louis Ferrara fired off a shot. But it slipped just wide of the net, and the game remained scoreless.

The Blazers finally broke through the stout Alvernia defense, scoring with 6:25 remaining in the opening stanza. Hood added to its lead just seconds later, making the score 2-0. Alvernia First-Year Dylan Mercadante had a late scoring opportunity but was unable to find the back of the net. Hood ended the opening stanza on top of Alvernia, 2-0.

The Blazers added to their lead to open the second quarter, recording three goals over the first seven minutes to take a 5-1 advantage over the Golden Wolves. Alvernia's Kenneth Howley answered with a goal of his own midway through the quarter, slipping a shot past the goalie to cut the deficit back down to four.
Despite the effort, Hood continued to add to its lead throughout the quarter, tacking on two more goals before the end of the first half. Hood ended the second stanza with a six-goal lead over Alvernia.

The second half started out slow, with both teams struggling to gain momentum. With 7:17 left in the third quarter, the Blazers broke the stalemate, recording a goal and going up 8-1. Hood recorded one more goal in the third stanza, taking a 9-1 lead into the fourth quarter over Alvernia.

The Golden Wolves found the back of the net with 11:13 left in the contest, with Keith Lake slipping a shot past the goalie off an assist from Cade Campbell. As the fourth quarter progressed, both teams struggled to find the back of the net, with the Golden Wolves fighting desperately to get back on top.

With 4:32 left in the game, Campbell found nylon, tallying Alvernia's third goal of the game to make it 9-3. This goal marks the 12th game in a row that Campbell has found the back of the net. Despite Alvernia gaining momentum, Hood answered, recording a goal and pushing the lead back up to seven.

Alvernia kept fighting regardless of the score as Mercadante netted his first goal of the contest to make it a six-goal game once again. Mercadante recorded another goal in the closing seconds of the contest, cutting the deficit to five. Hood ended the game over Alvernia, 10-5.

Dane Sabarese got the start in the net, making 16 saves in 45 minutes. Mercadante led the Golden Wolves with two goals, while Campbell ended the contest with one goal and one assist.

The Golden Wolves return to action Wednesday as they take on Eastern University at Alvernia.