Hagerty alum Christian Hofer 2G, Dwyer alum Reid Kerr with 10 saves and Jupiter alum Kurt Pelchen with 3GBs/2CTOs in Win

BOX SCORE

Men’s Lacrosse Overpowers No. 19 Montevallo, 15-9

by Michael Black

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Embry-Riddle men’s lacrosse team faced a tough test against No. 19 Montevallo – its fourth opponent in a row at least Receiving Votes in the latest USILA poll – but the Eagles (2-2) won the battle of the birds, overpowering the Falcons (3-2), 15-9, on a rain-soaked Thursday night at ERAU Lacrosse Field.
 
The increasingly high-powered ERAU offense saw its second consecutive outing with a goal scorer with at least six goals, this time Pete Abbes donned the double hat trick. Abbes tallied one goal in the first, two in the second and three in the third to vault Embry-Riddle to its second win in a row.  
 
Isaiah Hines registered a hat trick as well, his third consecutive multi-goal game to start his season. Hines also led the Eagles with two helpers on the evening. Once again Christian Hofer came to play, knocking home a pair of goals, as did Marcus Needham. Luke Barber and last week’s double hat trick artist Coleman Jacobs both scored as well. 
 
In goal, Reid Kerr stood on his head picking up 10 clutch saves to just nine goals allowed to pick up his second win in as many games. Kerr also benefited from a smothering Eagle defense. Montevallo never got enough room to even overcome the Eagle offensive attack.
 
The Falcons were the ones to find the back of the net first, scoring an early goal at 13:21, but Jacobs found Abbes just four minutes later to even the board at 1-1. Not long after, the Eagles scored in rapid succession, three times in the next two-plus minutes. Hines went unassisted, followed by Needham on a solo goal, then Needham found Hofer in a man-up situation, making things 4-1 quickly.
 
Montevallo returned with a goal late in the first, but Hines notched his second of three to open up the second quarter. The Falcons then fired off two quick scores within a minute of each other to push the case at 5-4 at the 10:19 mark in the second.
 
But ERAU didn’t budge, netting three consecutive in the middle of the quarter. First Hudson Kirk found Luke Barber for Barber’s first score of the year. Abbes made it 7-4 on an, then Hines completed the hat trick to make it 8-4 with 5:56 left in the half. Once again, however, the No. 19 Falcons sold out for two more quick strikes off faceoffs to make it 8-6, but Abbes added the insurance before half at 2:17, his third to that point, to go up 9-6 at the break.
 
Hofer opened up the third quarter in style, scoring just 24 seconds after first whistle. After assisting on that Hofer goal, Abbes scored his fourth at 9:57 to make it 11-6, giving all the momentum the Eagles would need. From there, Needham scored at 4:24, followed by two more from Abbes, the latter of which came with just 34 ticks left. 
 
The Falcons won the fourth quarter in the scorebook with three goals, but a slew of big-time Kerr saves down the stretch let the Eagles come away with the thorough 15-9 win.
 
Up next, the Eagles will take on Chowan as a part of a double header with the No. 11 ERAU women’s lacrosse team on Wednesday at 3 p.m.