Box Score Montreat, NC – The eighth-ranked UC men's lacrosse team netted seven of the first eight goals of the game to lead the Patriots to a 9-7 win over Columbia Saturday afternoon.  With the win the Patriots improve to 8-3, while the Cougars move to 2-3.

The teams traded possessions to start the game until the 6:27 mark when Whitten McCune score an unassisted goal to put Cumberlands ahead 1-0.  Kody Swann won the ensuing faceoff and on UC's possession Dalton Smith put a well-placed shot into the cage to make it 2-0.  Two minutes later McCune found Caleb Elerick cutting towards the crease for a goal to make it 3-0 with 3:25 remaining.  Sam Collinson and Elerick added back-to-back goals, before Columbia netted a goal in the final minute to cut the lead to 5-1 after the opening period. 

Columbia looked to cut into the lead to start the second quarter but Will Settle made a pair of saves to keep the score 5-1.  The score stayed that way until the 11:37 mark wen Collinson connected with Henry Quaye for a goal to extend UC's lead to 6-1.  Cumberlands won the ensuing faceoff and Brooks found Elerick for a goal to give the Patriots a 7-1 advantage with 10:36 remaining in the second quarter.  The Cougars got a pair of goals in the last three minutes of the quarter to cut UC's lead to 7-3 at the break.

Columbia tallied a man-up goal to start the third quarter however UC responded as Jake Mitchell found Dylan Crouch for a transition goal to give UC an 8-4 lead. The Cougars scored three of the final four goals for the 9-7 final.  

Leading the way for the Patriots was Elerick who finished with a hat trick. Crouch, Mitchell, Collinson, and McCune each tallied two points apiece.  Swann went 12-17 on face offs with five ground balls, while Nick DiFranco scooped three ground balls. Settle made 13 saves and improved to 7-3 on the season.

The Patriots will return to the field Friday April 6, when they host Tennessee Wesleyan in an AAC showdown. The game is set for 7:30 p.m. with live video available here, while live stats are available here.

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