Gettysburg College wasted no time asserting dominance in their non-conference college sports matchup against Hamilton, jumping out to a 4-0 lead en route to a decisive 10-6 men’s lacrosse victory in the Callum Robinson Mustang Classic.
Ranked No. 8 in the USILA Division II coaches poll, the Bullets set the pace early and never looked back, holding off a late push from the Continentals.
Charlie Johnson ignited the scoring for Gettysburg College, finding the net with 9:37 left in the opening quarter. From there, Jackson Hearn, Matt Maciolek, and Jack Dunleavy poured in consecutive goals, giving Gettysburg College a commanding advantage.
Hamilton finally got on the board in the second quarter when Will Heher ended the shutout with 4:56 remaining. However, the Bullets responded swiftly, extending their lead to 5-1 at halftime.
The Continentals showed signs of life in the third quarter, with Frank Coyle and Justin Pearl each finding the back of the net, but Gettysburg College’s balanced attack continued to apply pressure.
Declan Mack fired in a long-distance strike, and Ethan Kessler added another goal to keep Hamilton at bay. Though Thomas Healy trimmed the deficit to 8-4 before the fourth quarter, Gettysburg College stayed in control.
Dunleavy and Mack each tallied their second goal of the game in the final frame. At the same time, Heher and Jesse Delinsky chipped in for Hamilton in a valiant but insufficient comeback attempt. Gettysburg College’s defensive unit, led by Miles Balachandran’s four caused turnovers and four ground balls, proved too much for Hamilton to overcome.
Murphy Hoey anchored Gettysburg College’s defense with 12 saves, securing the win as the Bullets outshot Hamilton 33-30. Heher led Hamilton’s efforts with two goals and an assist, but the early hole was too deep to climb out of.
With the victory, Gettysburg College improves to 4-2 and turns its focus to a crucial Centennial Conference opener against No. 11 Swarthmore. Hamilton, now 1-4, looks to regroup before their next lacrosse challenge.
