By John Fitzgerald

The Belmont Abbey Men's Lacrosse team earned a 13-9 victory over the visiting Wingate Bulldogs in today's Mountain Island Lacrosse Club day.  The Crusaders are now 3-1 on the year and 3-0 at home.  Wingate dropped to 0-3 on the season.

The Abbey wasted no time, as Adam Wiedemann and Connor Sellars each scored in the first four minutes of the game.  Just 36 seconds following a Wingate score, Wiedemann scored another goal.  The Abbey led 4-2 after the first quarter.

The offense faded slightly in the second, as Wingate scored three straight goals in the period to take a 5-4 lead.  However, Callum Tanner found the back of the net with just 1:40 remaining in the period to make it a 5-5 tie at halftime.

In the third, it only took Wingate seven seconds to get the faceoff and score.  Tanner, however, put the ball in the net with 7:43 in the third off a pass from Kyle McGinley.  From there, the Abbey scored three more goals before the period ended to own a 10-7 advantage heading into the final quarter.

It took Wiedemann eight seconds in the fourth to score off a pass from MJ Miller.  Not long after, Wiedemann set up Jason Hollister for a score, and a strong 12-7 lead.  Wingate did find the net once more at the 8:38 mark, but it was the last goal it would score as the Crusaders finished off the game with a 13-9 victory.

On the day, Miller and Wiedemann each scored three goals and handed out two assists.  Tanner also scored three goals.  Sellars chipped in a goal with three assists.

Billy Huss picked up a game-high six ground balls, while Devin Cruz earned four.  Goalie Harley Whitham recorded 13 saves.

Belmont Abbey will next welcome Brevard College on Wednesday at 4:00PM.