PITTSBURGH, Pa. (March 21) - The Saint Vincent men's lacrosse team used a strong second quarter to top host Chatham University by a 13-7 score in Ohio River Lacrosse Conference play at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh. 

Playing in cold temperatures and snowy conditions, Chatham shut out Saint Vincent during the first period to build a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes of play. However, the visiting Bearcats responded in a big way in the second quarter. Back-to-back scores by Ben Price and Hunter Sharp would tie the game at 2-2 less than three minutes into the second.

After the Cougars scored to momentarily regain the lead, the Bearcats rattled off six straight goals to take an 8-3 halftime advantage. Zach Novelli sparked the run with three consecutive goals. Hunter Sharp, Jon Succop and Price finished the scoring streak with a goal each, the last two scores coming over the final 20 seconds of the half. 

Both teams were relatively quiet in the third quarter, with Jeremy Kennedy recording the lone goal of the quarter, helping SVC take a 9-3 lead into the fourth. Each team recorded four goals in the fourth quarter to give the Bearcats a 13-7 victory. 

Novelli paced the Bearcats with three goals, while Price, Kennedy, Sharp and Alex Mueser tallied two goals each. Novelli added three ground balls. Defensively, Michael Grus and Keith Findle both registered three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Goalkeeper Brandon Martin stopped nine Cougar shots to earn the victory in net.  

Despite both teams recording 35 shots, Saint Vincent held a significant advantage in shots on goals (28-18). The Cougars committed 21 turnovers while the Bearcats made just 10 miscues. 

The win moves Saint Vincent to 2-0 in ORLC play and 5-3 overall. The loss drops Chatham to 0-1 in league play and 4-2 overall. 

The Bearcats travel to Transylvania University to face the Pioneers on Sunday, March 25. The contest will be a rematch of last year's ORLC Tournament title game. Start time is slated for 1 p.m.