(ASHLAND, Va.) – In the penultimate home game of the regular season Randolph-Macon fell to Roanoke in a close ODAC men's lacrosse contest Wednesday afternoon. Jack Averna (Jr., Warrenton, Va. / Fauquier) and Ryan Pritchard (Fr., Crofton, Md. / ) led the team with three goals each while Brandon Smith (Jr., Richmond, Va. / Douglas Freeman) tallied six points on two goals and four assists in the defeat.

The Basics

Score: Randolph-Macon 15, Roanoke 18

Venue: Day Field

Records: Randolph-Macon 5-5, 4-3 ODAC; Roanoke 6-3, 4-2 ODAC

How It Happened

• Both teams exchange goals to start the day as Sam Balch scored first for Roanoke with Averna providing the equalizer just over a minute later. After another pair of Maroons goals, Averna took advantage of a Roanoke penalty and added an EMO goal thanks to an assist from Cameron Foti (So., Annandale, Va. / Annandale).
• Roanoke attempted to pull away with the next three goals, but R-MC was able to counter and score three consecutive of its own. Jamie Smith (So., Roanoke, Va. / Patrick Henry) scored the first and was followed by Pritchard's second and third of the game at the start of the second quarter.
• Both teams went run-for-run once again and the Maroons scored four followed by four from the Jackets. That made the score 10-9 with 2:34 to go in the half, but Roanoke added a late goal to go into the break up two.
• Derek Marsilio (Jr., Harrisburg, Pa. / Bishop McDevitt) and Andrew Tiffey (Jr., Columbia, Md. / Wilde Lake) scored two of the first three goals to start the second half to put the Jackets back within one at 12-11. Both were assisted by Brandon Smith.
• At that point Roanoke started to pull away and scored the next five to close the third up 17-11.
• The Jackets made one last attempt to come back and score three goals in the final five minutes, but time ran out on R-MC.

Inside The Numbers

• The Jackets were excellent on the extra man opportunities scoring three goals in four chances.
• Faceoffs were nearly even with Roanoke holding a slight edge with on wins by a 19-17 count. JD Spotts (Fr., Richmond, Va. / Collegiate) went through a string of wins and went 11-of-21 on the start. He also picked up five ground balls for co-game high honors.
• Brandon Smith's six points and four assists are a new career best. His previous high was four earlier this season against Guilford.
• Harris Archer (So., Baldwin, Md. / St. Paul's) made 13 saves on the day in goal.

Up Next

The Jackets will host Lynchburg in their final home game of the regular season this Saturday.