University of Richmond Athletics
Richmond Faces Bellarmine For First Time Saturday
04/17/2015 | Men's Lacrosse
Richmond men's lacrosse plays its final true road game of the season Saturday, with a first-ever meeting with new conference opponent Bellarmine Saturday at 1 p.m. in Louisville, Kentucky. The game is the home finale for the Knights, who will be honoring their seniors at the event.
Bellarmine, primarily an NCAA Division II institution, plays D-I Lacrosse and joined the Southern Conference this season. The Knights enter play at 4-6 overall, 2-2 in the SoCon and in a tie for third with High Point.
The Spiders are 8-4 overall, 4-0 in league play. The Spiders have already clinched a spot in the SoCon Championships and would be the host institution with a win next week against Mercer, regardless of the outcome of this weekend's games. A win for Richmond Saturday would also give the Spiders a ninth victory, tying them with High Point for the more in the second-year program among all of the teams that joined the men's lacrosse ranks since 2009.
Richmond sophomore Brendan Hynes (Mahopac, New York) earned USILA National Defensive Player of the Week Wednesday, after recording his first career hat trick and collecting eight ground balls in the 20-9 win at High Point last Saturday. Hynes leads the team with 43 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers.
Richmond's offense is led by J.P. Forester (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), with 25 goals and 14 assists this season. Six Spiders have 10 or more goals, with three collecting at least 10 assists. Sophomore goalie Benny Pugh (Powhatan, Virginia / Woodberry Forest School) is the league leader in goals-against average and save percentage, ranking fifth in the latter in Division I.
The Spiders lead the league in almost every major category, notably goals scored and allowed per game, while the Knights are third in many major categories. The Spiders are rolling offensively, with a school-record four players recording a hat trick last week and last Saturday marking the first time two teammates had at least six points in the same game. Spiders have recorded more hat tricks, 15, this year than in their inaugural season, 13, of 2014.
Bellarmine shut down the high-powered offense of Marquette at home on March 31, beating the 13th-ranked squad 9-3 in Louisville, making the Knights a formidable foe when all aspects of their game are clicking. They defeated Jacksonville at home 17-9 last Saturday, and will finish the season on the road next Saturday at High Point.
Austin Shanks took over the league lead in goals per game this week. He has 28 goals and nine assists to lead the Knights with 37 points. Tucker Ciessau is second on the team with 20 points on 13 goals and seven assists. Goalie Drew Goethals has 98 saves and a goals-against average of 9.34 in 10 starts this year. The Knights have been better in the goals column than their opponents in the first two quarters, but the team has allowed almost 10 more goals in the second halves of games this year.
The Spiders will finish the season at home next Saturday against Mercer at noon. It will be senior day at Robins Stadium, with ceremonies honoring the first group of seniors in the program's history. Admission is free.
