Bradford, PA -- The University of Pittsburgh men's lacrosse team returned to home action on Friday as they hosted former conference foe Hilbert at Rathburn Family Field in their Salute to Service game. The Panthers got revenge on a Hilbert squad that brought Pitt-Bradford's inaugural campaign to a close, winning 20-2.
In the Salute to Service game, the program worked with local National Guard chapters to provide information to attendees on the National Guard, while also honoring veterans for their service and sacrifice. After the national anthem, the team held a moment of silence for all soldiers who have been killed in action, missing in action, or were prisoners of war. It was followed by a round of applause for all veterans in attendance.
Once the opening whistle blew, the Panthers took immediate control, forcing 7 saves out of the Hilbert goalkeeper in the opening 6 minutes. They were finally able to beat him with a man advantage at 8:17. Logan Watts possessed the ball behind the net and found Sam Kemp wide open on the left wing. The freshman midfielder received the pass and fired a quick shot through the keeper's five-hole to open the scoring. Less than a minute later, the Panthers doubled their lead. After Reid Kristufek's shot was saved, Mikey Blake picked up the loose ball and quickly shot into the open side of the goal. With 3:17 left in the quarter, Evan Hawley forced a turnover in the defensive zone, beat the goalie to the ground ball, and then passed to Luke Amberman, who placed a shot into the vacated goal for his first of the game. The Panthers also picked up a man-advantage on the play and took advantage, scoring two more goals before the end of the period. Kemp doubled his tally 20 seconds after the restart, whipping a shot into the top right corner from the top of the zone off an assist from David De La Teja. With just under two minutes to go in the period, Nick Hause picked up a ground ball in the defensive end and sprang the counterattack. He moved into the offensive zone and slipped a pass to Hawley. Hawley had his first shot saved, but was first to the rebound and deposited his next shot into the goal, giving the Panthers a 5-0 lead through one.
Pitt-Bradford continued to dominate possession in the second quarter, as they continually turned the Hawks over as the visitors tried to clear the defensive zone. They also maintained possession of the ball through the faceoff circle, as Austyn Stack won all 7 draws in the quarter. They pushed their lead to 6 after 2 minutes of play in the quarter when Jaden Freeland caught a pass from Kemp in the middle of the defense and whipped a shot through the goalie for his first of the game. Pitt-Bradford added another directly off the faceoff, as AJ Nardi took possession of the ball at the top of the zone, sprinted past his defender, and shot into the bottom left corner of the goal. Christian Beasley scored a similar goal 2 minutes later, beating the defense with pace and then placing a shot into the top corner of the net. Jaden Freeland scored his second goal of the quarter with 7:26 remaining in the half, firing a shot from the left flank into the near corner. Stack provided the assist. The Hawks finally got on the board with 5:34 remaining in the quarter, but the Panthers answered before the break. With a Hilbert player in the box, the Panthers methodically passed the ball around the zone, ultimately finding Logan Watts wide open just to the side of the crease, who caught a pass from De La Teja and shot past the goalie from close range.
After the break, the Panthers struggled to regain their rhythm early and were held scoreless for the first 8 minutes of the 2nd half. After a turnover on a clear with 6 minutes on the clock, Amberman quickly restarted play, and before the Hilbert defense could get set, Watts scored again from right next to the goal to push the lead to 10. Pitt-Bradford tacked on another goal mere seconds after the faceoff. Amberman caught a pass at the top of the zone, beat his defender, and whipped a left-handed shot into the goal. With two minutes left in the quarter, the Panthers took a barrage of shots that either missed the net or were saved. After a minute and 6 attempts, Amberman was able to score his third of the game, using a quick release on another left-handed shot at the top of the zone.
Leading 13-1 heading into the fourth, the Panthers would leave no doubt regarding the result of the game, scoring 7 more times in the final 15 minutes. They scored 11 seconds into the quarter, when Stack won the draw moving forward, drew in the defense, and dropped a pass to Amberman, who likewise found Watts wide open in front of the goal for his third of the contest. 30 seconds later, Watts picked up a ground ball off of a blocked shot and passed to Hawley in front of the net for another easy, close-range goal. Hilbert beat Shank on their next possession to double their total, but the Panthers attacked right off the draw once again to match the goal. Long-stick midfielder Christian Wilkening picked up the ground ball off the draw, sprinted into the zone, and bounced a shot into the goal to restore the Panthers' 14-goal lead. With 11 minutes left in the game, the Panthers kept possession with a man in the box as Stack and Amberman sprinted to the touch lines to keep the ball in play and avoid a turnover. After Stack's second ground ball, he passed to Amberman on the left wing, who caught and released a shot as the penalty ended, bouncing his effort past the goalie for his 4th of the game. 30 seconds later, he bounced in another on an assist from Blake. Reid Kristufek joined the party with 8 mintues left, sneaking into the middle of the defense to receive a Watts pass before finishing from just outside the crease. Austyn Stack closed the scoring in the game, firing a shot into the goal off an assist from Kemop with just under two minutes remaining.
Luke Amberman led the way for the Panthers, scoring 5 goals while also assisting two others. Logan Watts also filled up the stat sheet, finishing with 3 goals, 4 assists, 2 groundballs, and a caused turnover. Sam Kemp and Evan Hawley each scored twice in the win, while Kemp registered two assists to Hawley's one. Jaden Freeland scored twice for the Panthers, while Mikey Blake had a goal and an assist. Reid Kristufek, Christian Wilkening, Christian Beasley, and AJ Nardi all scored in the win. Austyn Stack added a goal and two assists, while winning 18/21 draws and picking up 17 ground balls. Hunter Shank (8-3) got the win, making 5 saves in 48 minutes of action. Evan Stack and Nolan Walsh combined to play the final 12 minutes without facing a shot. Alex Arno tallied 7 ground balls and 3 turnovers, while Nick Hause added 2 of each.
The win moves the Panthers to 9-3 on the season. They will have 8 days off before returning to action on Saturday, April 11th, to open United East play. They will hit the road to take on Caurn at 5:00 p.m.
