LATROBE, Pa. (Feb. 25)- The Saint Vincent men's lacrosse team used a four goal fourth quarter to lift them past Mount Union, 10-6, this afternoon at UPMC Field.
 
The game was tied, 6-6 heading into the fourth quarter, before Saint Vincent (3-0) shutout the Raiders in the fourth quarter, 4-0, to come away with the impressive non-conference win for the Bearcats.
 
Jordan Billet led the way for Saint Vincent with four goals on seven shots on goal, while also scooping up one ground ball for the Bearcats. Caleb Hawkins totaled five points in the win for Saint Vincent, scoring two goals, while also assisting on three goals as well.
 
Matt Cassidy recorded three points, scoring one goal, while also dishing out two assists in the win. Jacob Visali added two points for SVC, scoring one goal while dishing out one assist. Andrew Coholich and Jacob Crumling each scored one goal for the Bearcats as well.
 
Brady Beard had a solid day for Saint Vincent as well, going 15-19 on faceoffs and picking up a game-high eight ground balls for the Bearcats. Noah Sperling recorded the win in net for SVC, making 14 saves in the win as well.
 
Billet scored the first goal just over three minutes in the game on an assist by Cassidy to give the Bearcats an early 1-0 lead. Mount Union responded just under two-minutes later as the Raiders netted a goal to tie the game up at 1-1 with nine minutes to remaining in the quarter.
 
Mount Union continued to pressure the Bearcats as the Raiders scored two-straight goals to increase their lead to 3-1 with 3:19 remaining in the first quarter. The rest of the first quarter, neither team was able to find the back of the net. Billet put a shot on net as time expired in the quarter, but it sailed just wide of the goal line as the Raiders held a 3-1 lead heading into the second quarter.
 
Cassidy scored first in the second quarter on assist by Visalli to cut into the Mount Union lead at 3-2 just over four-minutes into the quarter. Mount Union once again answered just about one-minute later, finding the back of the net to double their lead at 4-2.
 
The offensive surge early in the quarter continued as Billet scored his second goal of the game on another assist by Cassidy, once again cutting the Mount Union lead to one at 4-3 with 8:17 remaining in the half. The next several minutes of play both defenses upped their level of intensity as the score remained 4-3.
 
Hawkins ended the scoring drought for both teams as he scored an unassisted goal to tie the game up at 4-4 and that would remain the score heading into the second half.
 
In the third quarter, it was Mount Union who came out on the attack. The Raiders scored two goals in the first three and a half minutes into the quarter to take a 6-4 lead with 11:22 remaining in the quarter.
 
After being held scoreless for the first nine minutes plus of the third quarter, the Bearcats finally scored on Billet's third goal of the game, this one came a man up, cutting the Mount Union lead to 6-5 with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter. Billet's third goal of the day was assisted by Jonathan Nagy.
 
Just over a minute later after Billet's goal, Crumling tied the game up for SVC. Crumling scored on an assist by Hawkins to tie the game up at six with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter. Over the remaining four minutes of the quarter, both defenses and both goalies held strong as the game was tied 6-6 heading into the fourth quarter.
 
It was all Saint Vincent in the fourth quarter. Exactly one minute into the fourth quarter, Visalli netted his lone goal of the game on an assist from Hawkins, giving the Bearcats a 7-6 lead. Saint Vincent continued to pressure the Raiders over the next several minutes, as Coholich scored on the man-down on another assist by Hawkins, increasing the Saint Vincent lead to 8-6.

The Bearcats weren't done yet, as Billet added his fourth goal of the game with 8:09 remaining in the game and Hawkins added another insurance goal with 4:22 left to increase the Saint Vincent lead to 10-6, sealing the win for the Bearcats.
 
In the win, Saint Vincent outshot Mount Union 55-33 over the entirety of the game. The Saint Vincent defense forced 19 Mount Union turnovers, with nine of those turnovers coming in the second half. SVC scooped up 30 ground balls, compared to just 19 by the Raiders. In faceoff's, the Bearcats won 15 compared to just five by the Raiders.
 
The Bearcats will have a little over a week off before they travel to North Carolina for their spring break trip. The Bearcats will take on William Peace College in Raleigh on Tuesday, March 7 at 4 p.m., followed by Greensboro College on Thursday, March 9 at 1 p.m.