Stellar Defensive First Half Helps Push Wooster to 3-0 in NCAC Play as Scots Top Yeomen 13-8

The College of Wooster men's lacrosse team outscored Oberlin College 5-0 in the second period, and that proved to be the difference as the two teams turned in eight goals each between the other three periods during the Fighting Scots' 13-8 win over the Yeomen on Saturday afternoon at the Knowlton Complex in Oberlin, Ohio.

First-year Wesley Wagner recorded five of his 15 saves in the second period as Wooster (7-5, 3-0 North Coast Athletic Conference) was actually outshot by Oberlin (4-6, 0-3 NCAC) 12-10 in the period, but did not yield a goal. In fact, Wooster held Oberlin to a pair of first-half goals, and now has allowed three or fewer goals before halftime in five games this season.

Offensively, senior Matt Parmelee converted on a man-up opportunity with 12:32 to go in the first half, as he finished a feed from classmate Josh Herold. Just over a minute later, junior Sam Kuhn pumped one in, and the Scots' flurry continued with young brother Cullen Kuhn sneaking one past :44 later to make it 6-2 with 10:30 left in the second period.

Later, Parmelee scored his second goal of the period, and Wooster struck again immediately to make it 8-2 when junior Jack Gilio scooped up the groundball on the ensuing faceoff and fed the ball to junior Alexander Bloom, who finished the transition with his team-leading 25th goal of the season.

In the second half, Wooster went on a 3-0 run to open up an 11-4 lead. Junior Ian Brim started the spurt just before the 10-minute mark with Parmelee assisting on the goal before scoring the next two.

Then, in the fourth period, senior CJ Polak and Brim scored on back-to-back goals to put Wooster up by a game-high eight goals at 13-5 with just over 9:30 remaining.

Parmelee led the way offensively on the afternoon with a career-high five goals while Sam Kuhn backed the offensive production up with a hat trick.

Defensively, Gilio continued his stellar play from his long-stick midfielder position with six groundballs and three caused turnovers. Of note, the junior has at least five groundballs now in each of Wooster's last six games.

Oberlin was led by Kinori Rosnow, who went 18-for-25 on faceoffs, scooped up 15 groundballs, and recorded a hat trick.

Notable, Wooster won its third-straight NCAC game to open league play for the second straight year.

Next, Wooster travels to Kenyon College (4-4, 2-1 NCAC) for a 4 p.m. contest on Tuesday, April 4.