RICHMOND, Va.--Eastern Men's Lacrosse started the 2014 season with a 17-12 victory over Greensboro College on Wednesday propelled by nine goals from junior Grant Ferguson.
Ferguson (Rochester, N.Y./ Gates Chili), notched nine goals on 12 shots, harrassing Greensboro's goalie with several tallies across his body, finishing multiple attempts off-stick side.
Ferguson scored a team-best 54 goals last season and looks poised to lead the Eagles offensively again after today's outburst.
Dave Darling, Eric Waibel, and Andy Jameson each added two goals. Tim Lamb and Shawn Farmer also scored. Darling dealt out six assists, including three to Ferguson.
Eastern jumped onto the scoreboard 49 seconds into the game with Andy Jameson netting the season-opening score. Ferguson then drained three of his goals in the next eight minutes. Darling and Farmer also finished at the net, so with 6:13 left in the first quarter, the Eagles had already cruised to a 6-0 lead.
Greensboro put four goals on the board at the end of the first quarter and the start of the second to keep the game close.
Eastern, however, pulled away with an 11-3 run that stretched into the middle of the fourth quarter. Up 17-7, the Eagles allowed five unanswered Greensboro goals to close out the game, but not enough for it to be a threat.
The Eagles took advantage of Greensboro's 10 penalties by scoring seven man-up goals. Eastern had nine penalties of their own, but their man-down unit only allowed three goals.
Eastern was dominant at the x, winning 22-of-31 face-offs. Junior Joe Palo went 19-for-27 at the faceoff X.
Pat Groschan recorded 10 saves to earn the win.
Eastern (1-0) challenges nearby Swarthmore College on the road Saturday at 1 p.m.
Box Score
