LISLE, Ill. – The Elmhurst men's lacrosse team opened the 2017 season with a convincing 10-5 road win over Benedictine University.
 
The Bluejays' defensive unit turned in a strong showing against Benedictine (0-1), limiting the Eagles to only five goals, including just two in the second half. The Eagles' offense averaged over 12 goals per game last season and the five goals scored is the team's lowest offensive output since its second game of the 2015 season. The five goals allowed by the Bluejays is the fewest since the team surrendered just four goals against Dubuque in 2015.

After holding just a one-goal lead at halftime (4-3), the Bluejays exploded in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 6-2. The Bluejays scored four straight goals to start the third quarter to open up a commanding five-goal advantage.
 
The Bluejays needed less than a minute to get on the scoreboard as Mac Harden scored the first of three goals on the day just 46 seconds into the contest to stake Elmhurst to a one-goal lead. Back-to-back goals from David Blanco put Benedictine up 2-1 midway through the first quarter, but Harden's second goal of the game evened the score at 2-2. Benedictine's Corbin Gett gave the Eagles a 3-2 lead early in the second quarter, but Harden completed the hat trick with his third goal of the contest less than a minute later to even the score at three apiece. Jake Heil scored his first collegiate goal with 7:51 left in the half to give the Bluejays a 4-3 lead at the break.
 
Elmhurst (1-0) dominated the third quarter, outscoring Benedictine 4-0. Heil scored less than two minutes into the half and Matt Westhaver added his first goal of the season just 2:30 later to give Elmhurst a 6-3 lead. Mike Foytlin tallied his first collegiate goal with 3:14 remaining and Westhave added his second of the contest just over a minute later to give the Bluejays an 8-3 lead after three quarters.
 
Gett scored early in the fourth quarter for the Eagles, cutting Elmhurst's lead down to just four, but Harden scored his fourth goal of the contest 40 seconds later to put the Bluejays back up by five. Jackson Mandli netted the Bluejays' final goal of the game with 5:13 remaining on the clock. Benedictine's Jimmy Lopez scored on an extra-man advantage with just over three minutes remaining to account for the game's final goal.
 
Elmhurst outshot Benedictine 37-20 in the contest and the Bluejays were successful on 16-of-18 clear attempts. Elmhurst also had a 43-21 edge in ground balls.
 
Harden paced Elmhurst's attack with four goals and one assist while Heil and Westhaver added two goals apiece. Jake Cambron tallied two assists while Mandli finished with a goal and an assist for Elmhurst. Eric Langston forced five turnovers on the defensive side and scooped up three ground balls. Rami Ringling had an impressive debut handling faceoff duties, winning 15-of-18 opportunities while adding a team-leading eight ground balls. Nick Bonastia picked up the victory in goal for Elmhurst by stopping 10 shots and allowing just five goals.
 
Gett led Benedictine with two goals and an assist while Blanco finished with two goals for the Eagles. Sammie Sanko took the loss in goal, surrendering 10 goals while stopping 14 shots.
 
Elmhurst travels to Monmouth College next Tuesday, February 21.