ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University Trojans men's lacrosse team picked up the their second victory in program history on Wednesday (Feb. 17) with a 12-9 win over the Alabama Huntsville Chargers.
After a thrilling inaugural victory over the weekend against Montevallo, the Trojans were looking to ride that momentum into Wednesday's game against the Chargers. Nick Calabrese scored one of his two goals on the day in the first fifteen minutes, but it was the Chargers who held a 2-1 advantage heading into the second period.
The Trojans were able to respond in the second period as Jack Zilgme, Hayes Barnett, and Isaiah Hines each scored as the game was tied going into halftime.
"It was a very physical and hard-fought game from beginning to end," said coach Albert Mitchell. "All 27 members of our team made a contribution."
Garrett Hawkins got the Trojans on the board early in the third period, courtesy of an assist from Nick Calabrese. Alabama Huntsville responded with three unanswered goals to reclaim the lead 7-5.
However, in the final five minutes of the period, Anderson had a run of their own by scoring three of the next four goals. Garrett Hawkins continued his great afternoon by scoring two more, as Nick Calabrese picked up his second as the match was tied 8-8 going into the final fifteen minutes of play.
Hawkins continued his dominance in the fourth period, scoring two of his five goals for the afternoon. For the period overall, the Trojans scored four of the five goals as Rex Hardy and Isaiah Hines made scoring contributions. Goalie Sean Ring stepped up and made several critical saves to help lead Anderson to a 12-9 victory over Alabama Huntsville.
"I'm really proud of the way we executed and our hustle," said coach Mitchell. "Especially in the fourth period, things started to click for us."
Garrett Hawkins led the team with five goals, as Nick Calabrese and Isaiah Hines each scored twice. Cam Weeks was dominant once again in the faceoff, winning 19 of 25 attempts. Weeks picked up 13 ground balls, as goalie Sean Ring finished with 13 saves.
The Trojans will be back in action on Saturday (Feb. 20) as they travel to Wilson, N.C. to take on the Barton College Bulldogs. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., with live coverage available at www.autrojans.com.
