Matt Shields scored four goals and Tyler Feniello won 20-of-22 face offs to lead nationally 11th-ranked Mount Olive to a 15-6 victory over Brevard College in non-conference men's lacrosse Wednesday at Brevard, N.C. The game was the Trojans' 2016 season opener.
Mount Olive (1-0) and Brevard (0-2) were tied 1-1 until Nico Shewey and Jacob Ball scored goals in the final 40 seconds of the first quarter to put the Trojans ahead to stay. The Tornadoes were still within a goal of Mount Olive until Shields scored with eight seconds left in the second quarter to give the Trojans a 5-3 halftime lead and trigger a run of six unanswered goals.
Thatcher Clark and Shields scored goals 90 seconds apart early in the third quarter and Luke Dalman and Ball both scored in a span of 90 seconds to extend Mount Olive's lead to 9-3 with 4:23 remaining. Shields capped the run with a goal 37 seconds later.
Brevard avoided getting blanked in the quarter on Anthony Alfonso's goal with 46 seconds left. Alfonso added two more goals in the fourth quarter and matched Shields with four goals.
Brett Kingston scored two of his three goals in the fourth quarter. Feniello and Austin Whitlow shared game-high honors with seven ground balls apiece. After Brevard won the first face off of the second half Feniello won the next seven for the Trojans. Rocky Bowman played all 60 minutes in goal and recorded five saves.
Mount Olive and newlywed head coach Mike Murphy celebrate Valentine's Day with the Trojans' home opener Sunday against Rollins College. Face off is 1 p.m. at Amon Field.