Evans-Woodson Tandem Go Marching In Against Saints In Goucher Men's Lacrosse Win, 15-7

ARLINGTON, Va. – Rashaan Evans (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) and Matt Woodson (Timonium, Md./McDonough) combined for seven goals and six assists including scoring the first four goals of the game to fuel Goucher College past Marymount University 15-7 in non-conference men's lacrosse action on Wednesday night.

The first four tallies for the Gophers were Woodson, Evans, Woodson, Evans with the other player assisting each score to help the Gophers jump out to a 4-2 lead. Evans finished with four tallies and two assists while Woodson registered three goals and four assists.

Evans notched his second hat trick with his career-high four-goal performance while he dished out at least two assists for the third-straight contest and the fourth time in his career. The six points were also a career best for the sophomore.

Woodson finished with a hat trick for the third-straight game for his sixth hat trick of his career and 15th multigoal performance. The four assists were a season high and the eighth time in his career he has dished out four assists in a contest.

Jared Heath (Windham, N.H./New Hampton) added three goals and an assist while Ben Smith (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley) posted two goals and an assist and Jared Halverson registered two tallies on the evening. It was Heath's first hat trick of the season and fourth of his career while Smith has scored two goals in four-straight games and Halverson had his second two-goal game of the season and third of his career.

Nick Patterson (East Lansing, Mich./Damonte Ranch) continues to have success in the faceoff circle, going 14 for 25 on the night while Justin Lugo (Davie, Fla./St. Andrew's School), the current Landmark Conference Defensive Athlete of the Week, made 18 saves. Patterson also had a team-high seven ground balls and an assist.

The first four goals were like it was just Evans and Woodson on the field. Trailing 1-0, Evans passed the ball to Woodson from behind the cage and he buried the shot to tie the game at 1. Woodson then passed Evans the ball before he registered the tally at 7:37. Evans then set up Woodson at 5:39 for a 3-1 edge.

After the Saints cut the margin to 3-2, Woodson returned the favor to Evans again with 1:19 on the clock and started an 8-0 run for the rest of the half. Woodson, who is the current Landmark Conference Offensive Athlete of the Week, set up Halverson with eight seconds left to give the Gophers the 5-2 lead after the first quarter.

Woodson connected with Halverson again to start the second quarter scoring at 14:25 before Andrew Sade (Lewisberry, Pa./Northern York) buried the shot unassisted at 10:20 and then Patterson won the faceoff and found Woodson at 10:08 for an 8-2 lead.

Heath scored unassisted at 7:11 before Ben Smith dribbled in a shot before falling down in front of the goal at 6:39. Smith set up Heath to end the scoring in the half with 4:40 left for his first collegiate assist for an 11-2 lead at the break.

After Marymount scored consecutive goals, Smith scored an extra-man goal off a feed by Heath with 3:44 left in the third quarter to hand Goucher a 12-4 advantage. Evans scored two goals and Heath added a marker to help seal the 15-7 win against the Gophers old Capital Athletic Conference rival.

Steven Mancha (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) paced the defense with four caused turnovers and three ground balls while Eric Conoway, Jr. (Baltimore, Md./Cristo Rey Jesuit) added four ground balls and a caused turnover.

Goucher returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Arcadia University at Beldon Field. Game time is 1 p.m.