NEWARK, Del. – The Lafayette men's lacrosse team opened the 2024 season with a tough test against nationally-ranked Delaware on Saturday afternoon. The No. 16 Blue Hens, who advanced to the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, dealt Lafayette a 14-6 final.
 
The hosts held the Leopards scoreless in the first half to take an 8-0 lead before intermission. Mike Robinson reeled off five straight goals, four in the first quarter and one in the second, to open the game and set the tone. His final consecutive tally came just 16 seconds into the second quarter as Delaware led 5-0. Two other Delaware players added goals at 6:54 and 6:17 before Robinson's sixth goal of the game made it 8-0.
 
Trailing 11-0 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter, the Leopards' offense broke through. Junior Riley Sullivan took a feed from classmate Liam Sargent at 1:45 to get on the board. A minute and a half later senior John Mathes connected for his first goal of the game from a Carter Cecil assist. The extra-man conversion put the score at 11-2 at the end of the third quarter.
 
In the final quarter senior Peter Lehman scored a pair of even-strength goals with Mathes and fellow senior Kalman Kraham adding scores to run the final to 14-6.
 
Soph. Joe Doherty spent all 60 minutes in goal for the Leopards, making 18 saves. Delaware backstop Kevin Ellington stopped 13 shots. The Blue Hens held an 18-6 at the face-off X thank to O.J. Morris who added a game-high seven ground balls.
 
The Leopards next open their home slate on Feb. on 17, hosting Hampton at 12 p.m. at Fisher Stadium.