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MACON, Ga. — With cold wind blowing in Macon, Ga., and music blaring in Five Star Stadium, the Division I men’s lacrosse season was ready to get underway. The Mercer Bears faced off against the Bellarmine Knights in the opening game of the year — for the second season in a row.

But unlike last season, Mercer got to be the first team to celebrate a win in 2022.

The energy in the stadium was palpable, and it showed on the field for both teams as they looked to make big plays early on. But Mercer would pull through late for a 9-4 win.

“More than anything, it’s about settling in,” Mercer head coach Chad Surman said. “Guys are super excited, and everyone wants to make that play.” 

With that energy flowing, it didn’t take long for the first goal of the season to find the net. 

In his final season opener with Mercer, attackman Sean Goldsmith wasted no time getting to work. Goldsmith received a pass from Nick Rockefeller and rushed towards the goal, scoring just 16 seconds into the contest.

“It definitely felt like the quick goal made us relax a little, and we had a good first quarter after that,” Goldsmith said. “Our mindset was just to be loose and do our thing and just focus on us and do as best as we can, and that worked out well for us.”

Despite the early fireworks, the first half was a defensive showcase for both sides. Both teams traded defensive stands until Mercer sophomore Taylor Dooley scored to make it 2-0 with 1:29 left in the first quarter. Junior midfielder Parker Junod added on another just 21 seconds later to put the Bears ahead 3-0.

Bellarmine did not roll over, though. The Knights mounted a second-quarter comeback that made a one-sided first quarter a distant memory. 

After a shot knocked off the post, Bellarmine scored its first goal off a rocket from Denton Macdonald. After a quick turnover and clear by the Knights, Brayden Brown followed with a goal of his own just 20 seconds later, cutting the Mercer lead to 3-2. It was then 3-3 with 2:59 left before the half after Benny O’Rourk’s unassisted score.

For Surman and Mercer, the momentum swing put them at risk of their seventh straight loss to Bellarmine. The series has become a rivalry for both schools, both from rather nontraditional lacrosse areas.

“It’s two really young programs, and there’s a lot of competitiveness there,” Surman said. “There’s a lot of pride in being in non-traditional areas and trying to break through. We’ve seen so many different games with them, it’s just developed that kind of rivalry. It’s always a fun one.”

While Matthew Winegardner put Mercer ahead 4-3 just 59 seconds before halftime, the comeback had put the Knights right back into the game. Both teams went to the locker room looking to make adjustments.

“It was an emotional first half. We were able to jump up 3-0 in the first quarter, then it was 4-3 going to the half in a one-goal battle,” Surman said. “I think, really, at halftime, we just talked about settling into our game, sticking to the fundamentals, and once we did, we were able to capitalize a bit more offensively.”

Surman and the Bears were determined to snag their first win over the Knights since 2015, a losing streak that included two losses in 2021. Their explosive third period ensured a new streak could begin.

The Bears struck for five unanswered goals in the third period courtesy of Dooley, Goldsmith, Cole Leggett, Carl Klepper and Khory Reid. The barrage was too much for Bellarmine to recover from, as the Mercer defense stonewalled the Knights throughout the half and held them to a single goal. Goalie Colin Kelley (six saves) and defenseman Wesley Chairs (two caused turnovers) led the effort.

“I think this team has a ton of potential, maybe even more so than in years past.” Kelley said. “We have a ton of really good leaders. I think that’s gonna carry us a really long way the rest of the year.”

While Mercer won the ground ball battle 23-10, the real story was faceoff specialist Ashton Wood. The preseason All-SoCon pick was dominant, winning 13 of the 15 draws he took. Overall, Mercer held a 14-3 faceoff advantage.

“When I’m out there, honestly, the whole key to it is to go out and not think about it. Just get my team the ball,” Wood said. “That’s what I went out there to do.”

An inexperienced defense also hurt Bellarmine, which had three freshmen defenders getting consistent reps in front of preseason All-ASun goalie JC Higginbotham. Higginbotham was peppered with 29 shots and made seven saves.

With Goldsmith, Wood, Kelley and Chairs at the helm, Surman thinks the 1-0 start for the Bears is just the beginning.

“Being able to come away with the victory, I think that just gets the momentum going in the right direction,” Surman said. “We tell these guys all the time how special they are and what a high ceiling we have as a group, and this just kind of confirms it and helps us build that confidence.”