DANVILLE, Va. — The No. RV SCAD men's lacrosse team improved to 3-0 on the season with a commanding 24-2 victory over Averett University on Saturday morning at Daly Field.
 
RECORDS: The Bees are now 3-0 overall, while the Cougars fall to 0-1.
 
DID YOU KNOW? This is the most goals scored since SCAD defeated Point University 27-5 in 2021.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: SCAD wasted no time establishing control, jumping out to a 7-1 lead in the first quarter. Sebastian Manuel fueled an early offensive surge, netting four goals. Ethan Cline, Noah Moreland, and Jonathan O'Bryant Graves added to the lead with one goal each.
 
The Bees' momentum continued into the second quarter as they shut out the opposition 7-0 to take a 14-1 lead into halftime. During this stretch, Mason Hickman found the back of the net twice, while Manuel added another two goals to his total. Cline, Logan Ortigosa, and Ryan Byrne also scored in the second quarter.
 
SCAD's defense held Averett scoreless for the second-straight quarter in the third, as the offense added five more goals – Manuel, O'Bryant Graves, Hickman (2), and Cline – to head into the final quarter up 19-1.
 
Goals from Ortigosa, Griffith Long, Cline (2), and Eli Philips, helped seal the lopsided victory as SCAD cruised to the finish, earning the 24-2 victory.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: The Bees' offensive pressure was overwhelming throughout the contest, as SCAD outshot the home team 53-14 and held a significant 35-6 advantage in shots on goal.
 
Sebastian Manuel led the scoring with seven goals and one assist, while Ethan Cline followed closely with five goals. Mason Hickman tallied four goals, and Logan Ortigosa and Jonathan O'Bryant Graves each added two.
Ryan Byrne, Griffith Long, Eli Philips, and Noah Moreland also contributed to the scoring column.
 
At faceoff, SCAD dominated by winning 20-of-26 attempts, led by Lucas Martinez who went 10-of-14.
 
Defensively, the Bees collected 43 ground balls and caused 18 turnovers, with Gordon Beck leading the way with six ground balls and two caused turnovers.
 
Goalie Noah Miller earned the win, making two saves in the first half, while Keaton Melcher added two saves in the second quarter. Callum Meroney also saw time in the cage, playing all 15 minutes of the last quarter.
 
WHAT'S NEXT? The Bees return home to host LaGrange College on Saturday, February 14, at 12:00 p.m. at the SCAD Athletics Complex.