GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Alabama Huntsville received goals from 10 different players in a 15-7 victory over Tusculum University in men's lacrosse action Friday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
Bryce Ferraro and Brody Phillips each had three goals and an assist for the Chargers (4-2), who doubled up the Pioneers on shots by a 48-24 margin and forced Tusculum into 12 failed clears in 26 attempts.
Tristan Kirkham led the Pioneers (4-2) with three goals and two assists, while Nate Raymond and Wesley Phillips scored twice apiece. Tusculum was even on faceoffs with UAH at 13 apiece, but the Chargers controlled ground balls by a 42-27 margin.
The Chargers took a 2-0 lead in the first four minutes on goals from Phillips and Jake LeVette before the Pioneers got on the board as Kirkham scored with 6:57 left in the first quarter. Ferraro would restore UAH's two-goal lead just seven seconds later, and goals from Will Ford with 5:20 left and Nate Burt with two seconds remaining put the Chargers up 5-1 after one quarter.
Goals from Ian Arnt and LeVette stretched the Chargers' lead to 7-1 with 12:42 left in the first half, but the Pioneers would get two straight from Kirkham and Phillips to trim the margin to 7-3 with 6:50 to play in the half. Kyle Light would give the Chargers an 8-3 lead at the half with a goal with 2:25 remaining.
Alabama Huntsville would score four goals in a span of four minutes in the third quarter to take a 12-3 lead with 9:13 remaining, and stretched its lead to 13-3 on a goal from Paul Johnson before Tusculum got back on the board on the third of game from Kirkham with 2:39 to go in the period. David Rembert would tally with 16 seconds left to extend the UAH lead to 14-4 entering the fourth.
Tusculum scored three of the four goals in the fourth quarter, with Raymond netting a pair surrounding a man-up goal from the Chargers' Ferraro. Phillips collected his second of the game for Tusculum with 5:59 remaining to set the final score.
For Tusculum, Aaron Fabelo was 13-for-21 on faceoffs and led the team with five ground balls, while Bauer Swystun and Nicholas Drennan had four ground balls apiece. Drennan also had an assist on a goal from Raymond and had a pair of caused turnovers.
Brody Phillips had seven ground balls for the Chargers, with six by Hunter Coleman on an 8-for-14 faceoff performance. Silas Herman was 5-for-12 on faceoffs for UAH and had five ground balls, as did Will Kastel.
UAH was 1-for-1 on its only man-up opportunity and held Tusculum without a goal in four extra-man chances, three of which were 30 seconds in duration.
Riley Semmes played the first three quarters in goal for the Pioneers and had 11 saves, while Diego Hopkins had five saves in the fourth quarter. Max Keller played all 60 minutes for UAH and collected nine saves in the victory.
Tusculum will be on the road for its next two games, starting Tuesday, March 7 at Lander. The Bearcats were 4-1 heading into Friday night's game at Embry-Riddle, including three consecutive victories.
