Laurinburg, NC – The third-ranked UC men's lacrosse team netted eight unanswered goals to start the game, while Will Settle tied his season-high with 13 saves as UC knocked off second-ranked Keiser 10-4 Saturday afternoon at Knights Field.  With the win the Patriots improve to 6-1 overall and 3-0 against the AAC, while the Seahawks move to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

Fogarty led the way for Cumberlands with two goals and three assists in the win.  Dawson Coltran and Dylan Crouch each tallied two goals and an assist, while Nick Kava added a pair of goals. Maalek Wilson dished out a pair of first quarter assists.

Settle's 13 saves is tied for a his season-high that he set against Michigan-Dearborn.  Jake Morgan added five caused turnovers and five ground balls, while Chrystian Coleman and Schylar Chapman added three caused turnovers a piece.  Chapman also scooped four ground balls in the game. 

The Patriots defense came out strong forcing multiple turnovers in the opening minutes of play.  Just over two minutes in, Jake Morgan forced a turnover and scooped the ground ball, while Tanner Popovich connected with Dawson Coltran for a goal to put UC in front 1-0 with 11:28 left.  Will Settle made a pair of saves to keep Keiser off the board as the Patriots extended their lead to 2-0 on a Thomas Fogarty unassisted goal midway through the first quarter.  Two minutes later, Fogarty netted his second goal of the game, this time off an assist from Maalek Wilson to extend the lead to 3-0 with 5:28 left.  UC added to their lead as Coltran put a well-placed shot into the cage make it 4-0 after the opening quarter.

Cumberlands continued their strong efforts as Wilson dished out his second assist of the game this time connecting with crouch for a goal with 11:10 left in the second quarter. UC's defense continued to set the tone as forcing multiple Seahawks turnovers, including one from Schylar Chapman that led to a Crouch goal.  The Patriots won the next two faceoffs and scored on both possessions off goals from Tate Crowell and Nick Kava giving Cumberlands an 8-0 advantage with 7:22 remaining in the second quarter.  UC's defense continued to limit Keiser as Settle made a save in the final minute to help Cumberlands take an 8-1 advantage into the break.

Keiser netted a goal to open the third quarter, however, the Patriots defense continued to hold the Seahawks in check.  Settle made five saves in the quarter, while his defense in front of him tallied four caused turnovers in the quarter, while Coltran found Christina Vanover for a goal in the final minute take a 9-2 lead. 

UC's defense continued their stifling efforts against the Seahawks in the fourth quarter keeping them off the board through the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter.  Settle forced a turnover and made a save, while Crowell forced a Keiser turnover giving UC the possession with 4:18 remaining.  The two teams traded goals in the final two minutes for the 10-4 final.

Cumberlands held the Seahawks to their lowest offensive output this season at four goals.  The win is also the Patriots fourth win over a team mentioned in the NAIA Coaches' Poll this season and the first win over a top-two ranked opponent since February 19, 2019 when UC defeated #1 Reinhardt.

The Patriots return home Wednesday, March 23, when they host SCAD-Savannah.  The game is set for 5:30 p.m. with live stats available here and live video available here.

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