LATROBE, Pa. (Apr. 25) – The Saint Vincent College men's lacrosse team opened the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament with a dominant 16-4 quarterfinal victory over sixth-seeded Allegheny College on Saturday afternoon at UPMC Field.
 
With the win, the third-seeded Bearcats improved to 10-6 overall, while Allegheny closed its season at 6-10.
 
Saint Vincent jumped out to a fast start, scoring the first four goals of the game to take a 4-0 lead after the opening quarter. Luca Blevins opened the scoring off an assist from Connor Smith, before Calvin Rose, Reed Hunt, and Jonathan Nagy all found the back of the cage to give the Bearcats the early advantage.
 
Allegheny scored twice in the second quarter, but the Bearcats answered with goals from Smith, Max Radcliffe, and Neal Ritchie to carry a 7-2 lead into halftime.
 
The Gators trimmed the deficit to 7-4 with the first two goals of the third quarter, but Saint Vincent quickly regained control. Smith scored with 9:02 left in the frame to spark a five-goal Bearcat run, as Ritchie, Ryan Rosenberger, Blevins, and Smith all followed to extend the lead to 12-4 after three quarters.
 
Saint Vincent then closed the game with four unanswered goals in the fourth quarter. Smith, Blevins, Ritchie, and Rosenberger all scored in the final frame to seal the 16-4 victory.
 
Smith led the Bearcats with four goals and one assist, while Hunt finished with one goal and a team-high four assists. Blevins and Ritchie each scored three goals, while Rosenberger added two. Rose, Nagy, and Radcliffe also scored for Saint Vincent.
 
Owen Rogers dished out four assists, while Tyler Harpst and Cam Herring each added one helper. Defensively, Herring and Harpst each caused three turnovers, while Zander Vetter, Ryan Rutherford, and Hunt each caused two. Herring led Saint Vincent with four ground balls, while Vetter and Harpst each picked up three.
 
In goal, Garrett Ritts played all 60 minutes and made seven saves to earn the win.
 
Saint Vincent outshot Allegheny 55-24, including a 33-11 advantage in shots on goal. The Bearcats also forced 32 Allegheny turnovers and went 29-for-32 on clears.
 
The Bearcats advance to the PAC Semifinals on Wednesday, April 29, where they will travel to No. 2 Chatham. The rematch of last year's PAC Semifinals matchup will begin at 7 p.m. at UPMC Graham Field in Pittsburgh.