Box Score UNION, N.J. -- The 18th-ranked Stevenson men's lacrosse team bounced back in a big way, dispatching Kean 19-4 on Saturday night.
Stevenson (4-3) scored 14 unanswered goals to begin the game, building a commanding lead with a scoring run that spanned into the third quarter. Mitchell Lachman and Josh Brannan finished with six goals each, while Shane Ford posted nine points on three goals and six assists.
Stevenson stormed out of the gates with five unanswered goals in the opening quarter, with three coming from Lachman and the other two from Brannan. Ford passed out three assists over the opening quarter, while Marc Poust notched six saves for the Mustangs.
Poust finished the contest with 10 saves, giving way to Justin Scorese in between the pipes. Brannan scored two of the first three goals for the Mustangs, while Lachman added markers at 8:05 and 6:31 for an early advantage. Brannan stepped into a shot from the left side, rifling it into the net for a 7-0 advantage at 11:18 into the second. Jack Scaliti converted from the slot with an assist to Ryan Coleman as Stevenson continued rolling in the opening half, later increasing its lead to 9-0.
Lachman and Brannan continued their hot shooting into the second as the Mustangs ballooned their edge to 11-0 with goals at 5:14 and 4:49. Stevenson showed steady improvement on its man-up offense as Ford and Brannan connected yet again, this time lifting Stevenson ahead 12-0. Brannan passed out an assist on another man-up goal, this one from Scaliti at 1:41 for a resounding 13-0 lead in the second.
The second half started much like the first with Lachman ripping home his sixth goal of the night, off an assist from Coleman, for a 14-0 lead. The Cougars eventually got on the board with 13:08 remaining in the third, breaking the shutout with their first tally of the night. Stevenson added the next two goals for a 16-1 edge as it seized back control in a hurry.
Off a turnover, Ford continued his big night with a fake and score at the 9:59 mark of the third. Stevenson remained in control with an 18-2 edge heading into the fourth.
Brannan posted his sixth goal of the night with an assist to Griffin Gast to open the fourth quarter scoring, lifting Stevenson ahead 19-2. Overall, the Mustangs held a decisive edge in shots at 52-25 on the night as the Cougars posted the final two goals of the night.
NEWS AND NOTES
- The Mustangs previously posted 13 or more goals in the first half on April 9, 2019 at Alvernia as part of a 33-4 drubbing.
- Stevenson scored a season-high 19 goals, its most since March 13, 2021 against Arcadia.
- Six different Mustangs figured into the goal-scoring department for the Mustangs, including a man-up marker for Ed Masterson.
- Stevenson had some impressive offensive performances on its way to a 13-0 lead at the intermission. Lachman had five goals in the opening 30 minutes with Ford handing out six assists.
- Ford's six assists handed the senior a season high in both points and assists. Brannan also notched six points in the first half on four goals and two assists.
- Poust moved into fifth place on the Stevenson all-time career saves list in the opening half with his fifth stop of the night.
- Stevenson and Kean squared off in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last May, a 15-8 win for the Mustangs after a big second half.
UP NEXT
- Stevenson: The Mustangs visit second-ranked Salisbury on Wednesday, March 30 for a highly-anticipated nonconference contest.
- Kean: The Cougars continue their homestand, hosting Scranton on Wednesday, March 30.
