LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Sophomore Jake Cates tallied a career-high seven points and junior Sean Christman won 21 faceoffs to help lead the Boston University men's lacrosse team to a 17-11 victory at Bellarmine on Saturday afternoon at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.

BU (2-3) had its best offensive output of the season, as Cates led the way thanks to career highs in goals (4) and assists (3). Freshmen Louis Perfetto (4g, 1a) and Vince D'Alto (3g, 2a) both tallied five points, with Perfetto's four goals a career best. Eight different Terriers found the back of the net, with sophomore Nik McFarland scoring his first collegiate goal. Sophomore Timmy Ley notched two goals and two assists while junior Tommy Nook contributed a career-high three assists. Senior Jared Nugent notched a goal in his fifth straight game while redshirt sophomore Phil Wies scored as well.

Christman was outstanding at the faceoff X on Saturday, winning 21 of the 28 draws he took and gathering 15 ground balls. He also scored his first goal of the season as part of his terrific day. Senior Reece Eddy tallied six ground balls and added two caused turnovers. Freshman Collin Loughead forced three turnovers and recorded three ground balls. Senior Joe McSorley made 11 saves and only allowed 10 of the Knights' goals on Saturday.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Perfetto opened the scoring at 12:52 of the opening quarter.
• Cates then made it 2-0 at 5:18 when he charged to the cage and scored on a terrific individual effort.
• Bellarmine answered Cates' goal just over a minute later, but BU quickly regained its two-goal edge when D'Alto fired home his first goal of the day.
• The Knights converted an EMO with two seconds remaining in the quarter to make it a 4-2 score.
• BU made the most of the opening faceoff of the second quarter, as Christman won the draw and got the ball to D'Alto, who quickly found Ley for a goal that took six seconds to create.
• After Bellarmine made it a 4-3 game, Nugent kicked off a run of three goals in 20 seconds when he took a brutal hit to score his sixth goal of the season.
• Cates converted on the ensuing man-up chance just 14 seconds later before Christman won the next faceoff and ran right up the middle of the Bellarmine box before scoring as he was tripped.
• Just over a minute after Christman's goal, McFarland ripped home his first collegiate goal with a rocket from distance.
• Ley and Wies both scored as well to complete a 6-0 run and push the Terriers' lead to 10-3.
• The teams traded goals to end the half, with Cates and Perfetto providing the BU goals to send the squads to the break at a score of 12-5.
• Cates notched his fourth goal of the contest at 13:46 of the third quarter, with the Knights responding at the 6:21 mark. Those were the only two goals of that stanza.
• Perfetto answered an early Bellarmine marker with two goals in a span of 24 seconds, both of which were assisted by Ley, to push the Terrier lead to 15-7.
• The Knights made it a 16-9 score with 9:23 to play, but D'Alto fired home two straight goals in a span of 56 seconds to give the Terriers a 17-9 advantage.
• Bellarmine notched the last two markers of the game to create the 17-11 final.

GAME NOTES

• Cates last scored four goals in the Terriers' win at Army West Point last April.
• Nugent and Ley have scored in all five games this season.
• Perfetto has recorded an assist in all five contests.
• D'Alto has tallied 16 points (11g, 5a) over the last three tilts.
• In addition to setting a new career high in assists, Nook also set a new career standard for points in a game with three.
• Junior Kevin Snyder went 3-for-3 at the faceoff X and tallied two ground balls.
• BU finished the game 24-of-31 at the X.
• Senior Kaveh Torabian collected a career-best two caused turnovers.

 
UP NEXT

• BU will begin Patriot League play on Saturday, Feb. 29, when the Terriers travel to Colgate.
• Game time is set for 1 p.m.