GREENWOOD – The Lander men's lacrosse team scored a season-high 18 goals in an 18-8 rout of Lees-McRae at Van Taylor Stadium. It was the first-ever home win in program history.

The Bearcats (3-1, 0-1 GLVC) led wire-to-wire in the victory, getting goals from ten different players led by a seven-point effort from freshman Carson Theriault (3 G, 4 A) and a five-point day from Eli Copeland (1 G, 4 A).

Lander started the game with a lot of energy scoring eight in the first quarter against the Bobcats to work up an early 8-1 lead. After a five-goal Bearcat run to open the game, Lees-McRae finally got on the board with a goal at the 7:27 mark.

Lander would then score nine of the next eleven, creating an eleven-goal cushion heading into halftime with a 14-3 lead.

The Bearcats came out of halftime with a conservative approach, scoring two third-quarter goals to create further separation. The Bearcats would then score two more goals in the fourth to seal the game.

Jake Watson posted a team-high 10 ground balls. Krew Conroy scored three goals while Adam Tibbals, Chance Hainey, Trenton Fewox, and Adam Mather all tallied two goals each.

Liam Mackay was excellent in the cage for the Bearcats, making eight saves while allowing just four goals on the day. Braxton Smith and Cannon Cooper got some time in the cage allowing only two goals each. Lander's defense smothered Lees-McRae's offensive sets, forcing the Bobcats to make contested shots all afternoon. 

The Bearcats will be back home for their second straight home game Saturday, February 29, when Mars Hill comes to town. The game will face off at 1:00 pm and will be live-streamed on the Bearcat Broadcasting Network.

#cLawsUp | @LanderMLAX