BOSTON - The No. 17/16 Boston University men's lacrosse team improved to 5-0 on the season with a 12-7 victory over Bucknell on Saturday at Nickerson Field. 

The Terriers led wire-to-wire and got a game-high five points from senior Timmy Ley, who tallied two goals and had three assists while recording zero turnovers. Senior Jake Cates and junior Vince D'Alto each tallied three goals apiece, with D'Alto adding an assist. Junior Louis Perfetto produced three points on two goals and an assist while seniors Matt Baugher and Jett Dziama also found the back of the net.

BU scored five of the game's first six goals and took a 7-5 lead into halftime before scoring the first four tallies of the second half to build a comfortable lead down the stretch. 

Senior Matt Garber made 12 saves for the Terriers and backstopped a defense that held the Bison scoreless for over 25 minutes, including the entire third quarter. Junior Roy Meyer set a new career high with five caused turnovers and added four ground balls. Classmate Patrick Morrison had another great game on the defensive end, causing two turnovers and recording three ground balls. Morrison also notched his first assist of the season.

BU, now 5-0 and 2-0 in Patriot League play, handed Bucknell its first loss of the season as the Bison move to 5-1 (0-1 PL). The Terriers are now one of just four unbeaten teams remaining in Division I men's lacrosse, joining Cornell (5-0), Maryland (6-0) and Virginia (6-0).

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Perfetto opened the scoring just 47 seconds into the contest.
• Dziama made it 2-0 when he stunned the Bison by scoring from 65 yards out while testing a 10-man ride with 13 minutes left in the first quarter. 
• After Bucknell got on the board, BU responded with three straight goals from Ley, Baugher and D'Alto to take a 5-1 lead with just under five minutes left in the first.
• The teams traded goals over the following 12 minutes and BU had a 7-3 lead when Dziama was flagged for an illegal stick with 7:58 remaining in the opening half.
• Presented with a three-minute man-up opportunity, the Bison scored twice, capped by Connor Davis' third goal of the contest, to make it a 7-5 affair.
• The Terrier defense stepped up, holding the visitors scoreless for 25:45 while seeing the team's lead build to 11-5 early in the fourth quarter.
• Ley had the first tally of the latter half when he finished off a pass from Ley at 1:35 of the third before assisting on Perfetto's second tally of the game just over a minute later.
• Cates capped the 4-0 BU run with unassisted goals that were more than 10 minutes apart, resulting in a six-goal cushion with 13 minutes left in regulation.
• The Bison ended their drought on a marker from Harry Welford before teammate Dutch Furlong made it an 11-7 game with 4:31 to play.
• D'Alto finished off his hat trick at and sealed the victory at the 12:02 mark of the fourth when he created the 12-7 final.

GAME NOTES

• The Terriers held a 45-40 shot advantage and each team put 19 attempts on goal.
• Junior Conor Calderone claimed 16 of 23 faceoffs for the Terriers and had nine ground balls.
• BU held a slim 40-39 edge in ground balls and caused 15 Bucknell turnovers.
• The Terriers' ride was once again impressive, holding Bucknell to a 16-of-22 mark in the clearing game.
• Bucknell went 2-of-7 on the man-up with both coming on the non-releasable illegal stick penalty.
• BU was 1-for-3 with Ley getting his second man-up goal of the season.
• Max Nolan made six saves in goal for Bucknell.
• BU has now won its past four meetings with Bucknell and is 4-1 against the Bison at Nickerson Field.

UP NEXT

• The Terriers will return to action next Saturday (March 19) when they visit Holy Cross.
• Game time in Worcester is set for 1 p.m.