Goldberg's Late Heroics Lift Spiders Past Bucknell in Home Opener, 9-8

Saturday, February 17

Robins Stadium

12:00 p.m.

University of Richmond

1-1

Bucknell

2-1

BUCKNELL

RICHMOND

Goldberg's Late Heroics Lift Spiders Past Bucknell in Home Opener, 9-8

02/17/2018 | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score

By: Matt Moretti III (@Moretts13)

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond men's lacrosse team (1-1) opened up the spring season at Robins Stadium in thrilling fashion, outlasting Bucknell (2-1), 9-8, with the game-winning goal coming with just over 30 seconds to play in the game out of the stick of Mitch Goldberg.

Goldberg was playing in his first game back at Robins Stadium since suffering a career-threatening injury way back in 2016 and captured the moment in about the biggest way possible. He netted two goals, the most impressive of which came as the shot clock ticked below two seconds on the Spiders' final possession. He cut inside and bounced home the game-winning goal with 31 seconds left to lift his team to their first victory of the season.

Teddy Hatfield did his thing, scoring four more goals while freshman Ryan Lanchbury added the first hat trick of his young career to provide the bulk of the offense for Richmond. Ryan Lee tossed in two assists and Tyler Shoults added a third to round out the points.

Bucknell jumped on the board first but Lancbury answered in the first with 2:39 to play in the quarter to even things up. In the second quarter, Hatfield scored his first of the game in man-up fashion and added his second at the 9:37 mark after Bucknell had regained the lead. The two sides traded goals down the stretch in the second to send this one to halftime, 4-4.

There were more fireworks in the third. Lanchbury and Hatfield quickly traded goals at the 13:08 and 12:19 marks, respectively to push the Spiders ahead 6-4 but the Bison responded with three unanswered scores to take a 7-6 lead with 2:30 left in the frame. That was when Goldberg showed the first sign of things to come. With 54 seconds left he battled and buried his first score of the game to tie this game as we turned for the home stretch.

Hatfield made it an 8-7 lead for the Spiders at the 6:51 mark on a crazy sequence that saw multiple shots fired and saved before a bouncing ball found a wide-open Teddy who didn't miss his chance. Bucknell answered with 5:27 to go, setting up the heroics of Goldberg down the stretch.

Richmond took possession with just over a minute to play and after a short time the shot clock was put in play. The Spiders worked the ball around the perimeter with no one seeming overly interested in attacking. Bucknell was set up in a new look on defense but Goldberg found his opening with the shot clock about to expired and buried the eventual game-winner with 31 seconds to go.

From here the Spiders will take a short rest before welcoming Mount St. Mary's on Tuesday at 4 p.m. After that Richmond will turn its sights to Notre Dame on the road on Saturday (Feb. 24).