Swannanoa, NC – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford men's lacrosse team migrated south to North Carolina for their first spring break game against the Warren Wilson Owls. The Panthers outscored the Owls 9 to 1 in the first half, and then went on to win 19-7.
To start the game, both teams exchanged possession early, but it was Pitt-Bradford that would land the first shooting opportunity. They cashed in quickly as Reid Kristufek scored the opening goal off of a pass from AJ Nardi. Pitt-Bradford retained possession off the faceoff and converted it into their second goal a minute later. David De La Teja found Jaden Freeland, who whipped a shot into the goal to double the lead. With three minutes left in the quarter, De La Teja found Logan Watts on the wing, who released a shot past the goalie, putting the Panthers up 3. Seconds later, Austyn Stack won the ensuing faceoff and, after a give-and-go with Freeland, put away the 4th goal of the game.
The second period brought a goalie change for Pitt-Bradford, as Evan Stack replaced starter Hunter Shank between the sticks. Warren Wilson got on the board with a Panther in the penalty box, but the Panthers had an immediate response, as Mikey Blake assisted Kristufek for Pitt-Bradford's 5th and then scored on his own to give the team a 6-1 advantage. For the remainder of the half, Luke Amberman took over, scoring three goals before the break. With 5:39 on the clock, he scored off an assist by Nardi, and then tallied an unassisted goal 2 minutes later. 20 seconds after the restart, Watts found Amberman in front of the goal, who scored his third of the game.
After the break, Pitt-Bradford put Nolan Walsh in goal, and the Owls took advantage, scoring 17 seconds into the quarter. 90 seconds later, the Panthers countered after an unforced turnover, and Amberman tallied his fourth. Warren Wilson added their third after controlling the faceoff, but the Panthers settled in defensively and kept the Owls off the board for the next 7 minutes. In the same span, Sam Kemp scored an unassisted goal and Luke Amberman took advantage of a pair of Warren Wilson penalties to score an unassisted man-up goal. The Owls scored one final goal in the quarter, ending the 3rd trailing 12-4.
The Panthers used their 4th goalie in as many periods to start the 4th, as Colin Shank made his collegiate debut, playing the final period. He was not tested early, as the Panthers quickly extended their lead to double digits with four consecutive goals. Keistufek and Kemp each scored an unassisted goal before Watts assisted Christian Beasley for the 15th. Two minutes later, Amberman scored his 6th of the game with a man in the box. Despite Shank making his first save of the game after the restart, the Owls were able to beat him minutes later with a goal at the 7:22 mark. Amberman assisted Logan Watts two minutes later, and then, after two goals from Warren Wilson, Watts found MKikey Blake for a goal to put the Panthers ahead 18-7. In the final minutes, Amberman scored his 7th and final goal to finish the game with Pitt-Bradford leading 19-7.
Luke Amberman led the Panthers with 7 goals. He took 15 shots and also added 1 assist. Reid Kristufek also recorded a hat-trick, scoring 3 times on 4 shots. Sam Kemp, Mikey Blake, and Logan Watts each scored twice, while Watts tallied 3 assists and Blake added 1. Austyn Stack, Christian Beasley, and Jaden Freeland also found the back of the net in the win. Pitt-Bradford split goaltending duties evenly, as each goalie played one quarter. Hunter Shank and Evan Stack were not forced into a save in the first half, while Nolan Walsh made 3 in the 3rd, and Colin Shank added 2 in the 4th.
The win takes the Panthers' record to 5-2. They will remain south of the Mason-Dixon line through the weekend, as they will take on Randolph College in Lynchburg, VA, on Saturday. Opening draw is slated for 1:00 p.m.
