BREVARD, N.C. – Jackson McKaig netted a game-high seven goals and Sam Duffie added a season-high four goals as the Brevard men's lacrosse team maintained its perfect 6-0 record at Ives-Lemel Field this season with a 16-9 victory over William Peace on Saturday afternoon.
McKaig, who has topped five goals on three occasions in 2018, finished with nine points as he handed out two assists. Duffie was responsible for seven points, after dishing out three assists, setting his single-game high in goals along the way.
The Tornados (7-2) also received two goals each from Kyle Hunziker and Hewitt Farr as they scored at least 15 goals for the fourth time this season. Hunziker tied Duffie for the most assists (three), while Robert Kokal (13 ground balls) and Xzavier Holmes-Copeland (12 saves) anchored Brevard's defensive effort.
Brevard ended the game with a 38-34 edge in shots, making 12 in the first period, and a 42-26 advantage in ground balls. The Tornados also owned the advantage in faceoffs won (19-10).
Brevard established its offense early in the contest with two goals by Duffie inside the first 2:30 of the first half. McKaig followed with a strike, upping the lead to 3-0, but Duffie worked his way past the Pacers' (3-7) defense to net a pair of goals at the 8:28 and 4:06 mark. McKaig netted the final goal of the opening period with 2:16 remaining as the Tornados grabbed the 6-0 advantage.
Farr extended the lead to seven goals when he scored on a pass from David Buono 46 seconds into the second period. William Peace put their first goal of the game on the board at the 11:32 mark, via Dalton Albright, and trimmed the margin to five on a strike by Anthony Florian.
Hunziker drove home the eighth Brevard goal of the game with 9:20 left in the second and McKaig added his third goal of the first half with 2:08 remaining as the Tornados took a 9-3 lead into the intermission.
Second half scoring began 41 seconds into the third when Farr found an open Hunziker for the 10-2 Brevard lead. Florian and teammate Nick Falso scored back-to-back goals for the Pacers, trimming the margin to six, but scores by McKaig, Paxton Brown and Farr in succession pushed the Tornado lead back to eight with 1:42 remaining.
The two units scored one goal each inside the final minute, including a strike by McKaig for Brevard, to make for a 14-6 game through three quarters.
After two William Peace goals to open the fourth, which came from Austin Abourjilie and Dalton Albright, McKaig went to work and converted a Robert Kokal pass for his sixth goal of the game. Just over two minutes later, again on a pass from Kokal, McKaig found the net for the final goal of the game.
Brevard returns to the road for clashes against Wofford (March 21) and Greensboro
