Box Score

GRANTHAM, Pa. – Freshman Jameson Smith (Glen Ridge, N.J./Glen Ridge) recorded two goals and three assists in his collegiate debut while sophomore Robby Maddux (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's) tallied three goals as the 16th-ranked Gettysburg College men's lacrosse team won its season opener 11-4 at Messiah College Saturday afternoon in non-conference action.

The Bullets, who won their eighth-straight season opener, never trailed and outscored the Falcons 11-1 over the opening 38:20. Gettysburg held a 54-24 shot advantage.

Seniors Bobby DeWees (Wilmington, Del./Wilmington Friends) and Evan Thomas (Ithaca, N.Y./Ithaca) added two goals and one assist apiece for Gettysburg while sophomore Bijan Firouzan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and junior Martin Manilla (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) registered one goal and one assist each.

Defensively, senior J.T. McCook (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep.) made nine saves while sophomore Alex Lanza (Cross River, N.Y./John Jay) was credited with five caused turnovers. Senior Nick Avedisian (Laytonsville, Md./The Bullis School) finished 13-for-19 on face-offs and picked up eight ground balls.

Heath Kupecky scored two goals for Messiah, which was also playing its season opener, while Jon Weimer made 13 saves.

Smith assisted on both of Gettysburg's first two goals. Thomas scored the team's first tally of the season just 1:07 into the contest before DeWees added a man-up goal with 10:28 on the clock. The Falcons scored late in the quarter to make it 2-1 after 15 minutes of play.

The Bullets then reeled off a 9-0 run and outscored Messiah 4-0 in the second quarter, when they received goals from four different players.

Gettysburg tacked on five unanswered over the opening 8:20 of the third quarter, including two goals over a six-second spurt following a Bullet face-off victory in which Avedisian provided the assist. The Falcons scored the final two goals in the third quarter and the only goal in the fourth quarter.

The Bullets play their home opener on Wednesday, when they take on Goucher College starting at 3:30 p.m. in another non-conference affair.