LYNCHBURG, Va. – An eight-goal third period from Averett University men's lacrosse was the catalyst needed for the team, as the Cougars rallied past Randolph College on Wednesday afternoon for their first ODAC win of the 2025 spring campaign.
Looking to steer the ship in the rivalry, the all-reliant
Emmett Wood scored the first goal for Averett (4-6, 1-2 ODAC), before Randolph (0-7, 0-3 ODAC) got its reply to even the game at 1-1, only five minutes in. A few shots and turnovers back and forth occurred until the Cougars got their best chance at reclaiming the lead.
Tigran Ceesay answered the call, getting Averett back on top after causing a turnover on the WildCat side.
The Cougars turned their goal party into a trio as the first quarter wound down, with
Dawson Hobbs making it 3-1, following three consecutive shots on goal beforehand.
The score changed just like the quarters, with Ceesay doubling his tally early on in the second period.
Connor Boyd made it two assists already on the latest score, as Averett marched on, up 4-1. The extended advantage was short-lived, as Isenhour couldn't stop the Randolph offensive attack just a few minutes later, chipping into the visitors' lead, 4-2.
Averett's turnovers ticked up, as Randolph swarmed over its offensive side of the field, paying dividends. In the span of just under five minutes, the Wildcats turned a deficit into a two-goal lead, as Averett was suddenly turned to the backend down 6-4. Going into the intermission, both teams would experience surges unlike no other.
In what could have been a typical final score for a lacrosse game, Averett and Randolph played out 15 minutes of nonstop goalscoring action, with 12 total netters in the stanza alone. It kicked off with the Wildcats remaining hot, with three of the first four goals to go up 9-5 before the clock ticked below 10 minutes. A new gear kicked in for the Cougars, going nonstop for a 7-1 run, all from different Averett players. Hobbs's goal with just under a minute left in the third flipped the rivalry upside down, as the Cougars went into the fourth up 12-10.
Averett's run extended to nine goals, with Wood and Ceesay on the charge to up the scoring barrage to 14-10. The path seemed clear to the Cougars' first ODAC win of the year, but the WildCat's Ethan Caldwell seemed prime to make noise, assisting and scoring on Randolph's next two goals to make it 14-12 favor of Averett. The away side hung on, and avenged its loss from last spring.
The Cougars have now won four of the past five games versus Randolph, dating back to 2021.
Ceesay led the way for Averett, tallying the most points with six, including four goals. Wood completed his third hat trick of the season, finishing with three goals. Boyd turned in a productive afternoon with four points, three ground balls, and a caused turnover. Three Cougars accrued three ground balls each, with
Zac Coleman,
Deven Perry, and Boyd on the charts.
Ty Pearson anchored the defense with three caused turnovers, and
Robbie Isenhour rounded up nine saves.
Averett continues on the road on Saturday, March 29, taking on Bridgewater College. Start time is set for 1 p.m.
