ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. — Washington’s men scored four unanswered goals over the final 12 minutes and change, part of a larger 7-1 game-ending run, to defeat their hosts from Elizabethtown in lacrosse on Saturday, 8-5.
Washington improved to 8-0 all-time in the series that dates to 2007.
This was the season opener for the Shoremen, while the Blue Jays (1-3) were already playing their fourth game.
Fresh off a 20-19 sudden victory four days earlier at No. 17-ranked Stevenson, the Blue Jays raced out to a 3-0 lead on goals from three different players.
Junior attackman Peyton Gestole, off a look from Jake Laubach, put Washington on the board with 6 minutes, 5 seconds to play in the opening frame.
E-town’s Brent Wehland had the only goal of the second quarter for a 4-1 halftime lead.
Senior attackman Cam Carrigan and Gestole, again from Laubach, scored back-to-back in the third quarter as Washington closed to 4-3.
Unassisted goals from sophomore attackman Nate Winters leveled the score at 4-all and 5-all with 13:30 and 12:24 remaining, respectively.
Winters’ second goal touched off Washington’s decisive 4-0 flurry.
Junior attackman Nicky Bond, from Carrigan, at the 9:51 mark gave the Shoremen their first lead of the afternoon at 6-5.
They never trailed again.
Junior attackman Aiden Ventura’s extra-man tally three and a half minutes later, on Laubach’s third assist of the game, held up as the insurance goal.
Carrigan’s solo run with only 44 seconds to play salted away the win.
Washington finished with 40 shots to Elizabethtown’s 27, which included a 22-8 margin in the second half. Washington also led in shots on goal, 20-14, which included 13-2 in the second half.
Junior Ronan Miller won eight of 15 face-offs and scooped up a game-high seven ground balls.
Sophomore Skeet Hine, making his first collegiate start, was credited with nine saves — eight in the first half.
NOTES: All eight of Washington’s goals came from attack, including two apiece from Carrigan, Gestole and Winters.
Gestole comes to Washington via three-time defending NJCAA champion Harford Community College where he played as a freshman and NCAA Division II Lenoir-Rhyne where he played as a sophomore. He grew up in Sudlersville and graduated from Queen Anne’s County High School, where he was a first-team All-Bayside Conference player.
John Nostrant’ 86 is beginning his fifth year as head coach at alma mater Washington, where he was a three-time All-America midfielder.
The Shoremen are on the road for their first three games. They travel to Widener on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The opening face-off is at 6 p.m.