Salem, Va. -- The University of Lynchburg men's lacrosse team won a high-scoring affair on the road against Roanoke 18-15 Wednesday night.
In a ranked matchup between No. 16 Lynchburg and No. 20 Roanoke, the conference rivals combined for 33 goals marking the highest-scoring game between the two sides since 2017. Lynchburg's 18 goals are its most in a game against the Maroons since scoring 19 in 2022. Four of Lynchburg's scores came from Jake Rust. The senior from Windham, N.H. scored multiple goals for the first time since April 3 against Guilford and registered his first hat trick in seven games. Rust has scored 12 goals in his career against the Maroons.
Rust scored the first goal of the night and scored his second to cap off a 5-0 run to start the game for the Hornets. Spencer Vandenberg also found the back of the net twice on the run. Finn Schmidt, who scored one goal in every quarter, ended the first with Lynchburg's sixth goal of the game.
Roanoke owned the middle quarters outscoring Lynchburg 10-6 in the second and third periods. Schmidt scored another quarter-ending goal after 45 minutes of play tying the game at 12.
The Hornets scored six in the fourth quarter beginning with their first and only man-up goal of the game. Rust scored on the extra-man opportunity to tie the game up once more after Roanoke opened the fourth with a man-up goal of its own. Riley Hastings and Riley Mitchell found Rust and Dylan Wolfe, respectively, as Lynchburg built a bit of a cushion with 6:46 to play.
After Roanoke answered to draw back within one, Michael Kraus won his 16th faceoff setting up Rust and Lynchburg to earn some insurance. Rust scored promptly after the faceoff win putting Lynchburg up by two.
Four Hornets recorded caused turnovers, Steve Ulrichs came up with four ground balls, and Tyler Hadley saved 15 of the 30 shots he faced as the Hornets held on for their eighth straight win over the Maroons.
Lynchburg (9-5, 6-1 ODAC) visits Hampden-Sydney on Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m.
Visit Lynchburg athletics' home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network.
Sign up here to receive Lynchburg Sports news in your email inbox.
Give Lynchburg Sports a like on Facebook, and follow Lynchburg athletics on Instagram, Threads, and X.
--LYN--
