HENDERSONVILLE, TN - The Bears are back. In a game that didn't have a quarter decided by more than one goal, the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Lacrosse team took down the #12 Maryville Saints 13-12 in overtime. Down 12-11, Marist transfer Joel Brusnahan came through clutch, scoring the first goal of his LR career with 2:05 left in the game. 

In overtime, Sophomore Sloan Steward took a pass from Morgan Madish, turned around and powered it in the net for the game-winning goal. This marks the third consecutive year the Bears have won their season opener, and the second time they have done it against Maryville. 

INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final:  No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne 13, No. 12 Maryville 12
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0), Maryville (0-1)
Location: Hendersonville, TN | Pope Saint John Paul II HS

STORY OF THE GAME

• Senior Evan Voss opened up the season as only he could, scoring the Bears' first goal of the season just seven seconds into the contest.
• After two goals from the Saints, Robert Walker scored two of his own to put the Bears up 3-2 after one.
• Second quarter goals from Sloan Steward, Connor Kruse, Evan Voss, and Nate Serrano put LR up 7-5 at the break.
• Two quick Donovan Powell goals in the third saw the Bears go up 9-5 and threaten to pull away. 
• Maryville got hot late in the third, taking advantage of being a man up to score three goals in the final minute to make it 9-8 LR with 15 minutes left in regulation.
• The teams went back-and-forth in the fourth, each taking the lead at one point before Brusnahan sent the game to overtime late.
• Matthew Mancini won the faceoff in overtime and the Bears didn't let him down, as Steward's goal took only 43 seconds to transpire.

STATS OF THE GAME

• Donovan Powell led the Bears with three goals and an assists. 
• Evan Voss, Robert Walker, and Sloan Steward all finished with two goals.
• Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Owen Peters made 12 saves in the game on 36 shots faced. 
• The Bears outshot the Saints 61-36, holding a 28-24 advantage in shots-on-goal.
• Matthew Mancini was a man amongst boys, winning 21 of his 26 face offs. 

STATS OF THE GAME

• The Bears are now 6-9 all-time in season openers, and have a 6-2 record since the 2018 campaign. 
• Evan Voss now has 74 goals and 77 assists in his career.
• Lenoir-Rhyne was No. 3 in the USILA Preseason Poll.
• SAC powers Limestone and Wingate also picked up wins today. 

UP NEXT: The Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Lacrosse Team will hit the road for their next contest, as they travel to Wilson, North Carolina, next Saturday to take on Barton. The game is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.