SALEM, VA -- The eighth-ranked Roanoke College men's lacrosse team improved to 2-0 on the 2007 season with a 12-11 home victory over St. Mary's College on Saturday in Salem, VA. The Maroons avenge a loss to the Sea Hawks, 9-5 last season. St. Mary's, which entered the game as the nation's 19th ranked squad, is now 1-1 this year.

The Maroons took a 5-2 lead after the first quarter of play, but the Sea Hawks dominated the second quarter, scoring the first six goals, and took an 8-6 lead into the half. Stu Wright and Ryan Alexander each dodged from the wing to score unassisted goals, and Pat Oliphant scored a man-up goal with 10:39 left in the half to even the score at five.

Oliphant scored again, on a cut through the middle of the Maroons defense, after which he one-timed a Kyle Patton pass. Just 49 seconds later, St. Mary's defender Reid Featherstone collected a loose ball and in an unsettled situation found Patton to make the score 7-5. Ryan Niland dodged from the top of the box and beat Roanoke goalie Nick Peck and the Sea Hawks led 8-5.

With just over two minutes left in the half, Roanoke freshman defender Steve Simmons started a fastbreak. Moving down the ally, he found senior defender Wes McFarlane at the top of the St. Mary's box. McFarlane scored his second career goal to send the game into the half at 8-6.

The Maroon defense settled in during the third quarter, holding St. Mary's without a goal and just seven shots. The Roanoke offense, meanwhile, got the team back into the game. With a man advantage, sophomore Chaz Carlson found Brendan Moore on the crease and Moore brought the Maroons to within one. Moore recorded an assist off his own just about 30 seconds later, finding Zach Thomas alone in the middle of the SMC defense.

With the score even, it was Simmons starting another fastbreak, but this time he finished the play himself, scoring on a low shot. It appeared as if the game would go to the fourth with the Maroons leading 9-8, but with just 0.3 seconds left, freshman midfielder Steve Furdock dodged a Sea Hawk defender up top and got his fourth goal of the season.

Carlson gave the Maroons an 11-8 lead five minutes into the fourth, ripping a 15-yard shot past St. Mary's goalie Rich Barr on a Roanoke man-up. Sea Hawk junior Cyrus Albertson brought his team to with 11-10 with back-to-back goals, the second of which bounced off a Maroon defender and past Peck. The Carlson-to-Moore connection struck again for the Maroons, a need goal after John Oliver scored on a slashing ma-up goal for SMC with just 36 seconds left.

Carlson finished with two goals and two assists, Thomas and Moore two goals and an assist each. Peck made 11 saves in goal for the Maroons, three coming in the shutout third quarter.

The Maroons are back in action Wednesday in a road game against the Pride of Greensboro College.

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Salem, VA – Brendan Moore scored the eventual game-winner with 4:28 remaining in the game and finished with three points in leading No. 8 Roanoke College to a 12-11 victory over the St. Mary's (Md.) College men's lacrosse team.

Roanoke (2-0) had four players that notched two goals apiece while Chaz Carlson also dished out a pair of assists, including the game-winning assist, to go along with his two goals for the Maroons.

Jon Mason helped Roanoke outscore St. Mary's 5-2 in the first quarter with two goals, while Zach Thomas had a goal and an assist in the first 15 minutes.

The Seahawks (1-1) dominated the next 15 minutes by rattling off six straight goals, including a pair from junior captain Pat Oliphant (Chatham, NJ/Chatham), to post an 8-6 lead at halftime.

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2007-02-24