DANVILLE, Ky. – With a seven-goal outburst in the third period, Elmhurst opened the 2026 Men's Lacrosse season with a win, defeating Centre (Ky.) on the road 17-11 on Saturday afternoon.

Eli Spence led the way for the Bluejays with five goals, as six Jays would see the back of the net in the season opener. Brent Diehl posted four goals with two assists, while Charlie Ferree collected four goals in the win.

Spence would give Elmhurst an early 3-1 lead, scoring three goals in the game's opening ten minutes. Centre responded with a pair of goals to even the score, but Diehl's assist to Spence's fourth goal of the period gave the Jays a 4-3 lead through the first quarter.

Centre rallied with four unanswered goals in the second quarter, but Diehl would score his first of the day with just under six minutes before halftime to cut the deficit to 7-6 at the break.

Ferree would be the star of the third quarter, scoring four times including three consecutive goals to fuel the Jays' comeback. Elmhurst out-scored Centre 7-3 in the third period, and led by as much as four before a last-second goal for the home side made it a 13-10 score going into the fourth.

After an early goal from the Colonels, the Elmhurst defense would dominate the rest of the way, shutting out Center over the final 14 minutes while the offense added four more goals to pull away for the win.

The Bluejays now return home to prepare for the second leg of the two-game road swing to start the year, as they face Denison (Ohio) on Saturday, Feb. 21.