GLENSIDE, Pa.-While Eastern University Men's Lacrosse controlled the action from the outset of the game at Arcadia, the host Knights frustrated the Eastern attack until halftime. Eastern's six-goal burst in the opening seven minutes of the second half broke the game open on the way to a 13-3 win.

The Eagles came off the bus firing, but the Knight defense held the castle walls against a barrage of Eastern shots in the early going. Andrew Travers finally broke through on the Eagles' fifth shot of the day with 10 minutes to play in the quarter. Eric Waibel earned the assist on the play.

Ninety seconds later, Waibel finished his 19th tally of the year on a pass from Dave Darling. The second goal came after a pair of blocked shots by the Knight defense. The Andy Jameson made it 3-0 after Grant Ferguson missed wide, hit the post and had a shot saved by Arcadia goalie Jordan Culichia. Culichia made six of his eight saves in the opening half.

The Eagles (9-4, 3-0 Freedom) had a 16-2 edge in shots through the opening period, but only led 3-0. When Ferguson scored his first of the day 90 seconds into the second quarter, it seemed that the door might open for the attack that scored 12 first-half goals against FDU. 

The Knight defense, however, allowed only one more Eastern goal in the half. Andy Jameson picked up his 10th of the year with five minutes to play in the half. Arcadia took a little momentum into the intermission with a goal in the final 10 seconds of play by James Boland. 

That momentum, however, was short-lived.

It took a minute for Dave Darling to make it 6-1. Thirty seconds later, Darling found Ferguson for a 7-1 lead. The same two combined 20 seconds later for an 8-1 edge after Joe Palo won his third straight face-off to start the half.

The Knights stemmed the tide briefly with a faceoff win, but a turnover and a quick clear gave the Eagles a shot to increase the lead. Darling missed high, but Waibel made in 9-1 on his second tally of the day with only three minutes elapsed in the period.

Shawn Farmer scored from Ferguson on a transition goal 35 seconds later to give the Eagles a comfortable 10-1 lead. The goal was the third of the year for the senior defensive midfielder. He has scored on three of his four shots. 

After the Knights took a timeout, the Eagles again won a faceoff. After a couple changes of possession Cody Ridgway knocked in his second goal of the year on a hockey-style finish of a loose ball on the edge of the crease.

Ferguson scored his fourth of the afternoon and 41st of the year to close the scoring in the third. 

Darling dropped in his second of the afternoon midway through the fourth to put the Eagles up 13-2. Eastern's man-up unit did not get a chance all afternoon as Arcadia made it through the day without committing a penalty. The Eagles however, were called for a pair of slashes in the final seconds of the game, and the Knights were able to close the game with a 6-on-4 goal with one second to play.

The Eagles return to action on Saturday when they host Misericordia University in a rematch of last year's Freedom Conference Championship game.

Box Score