MEADVILLE, Pa. – JP Rakis (Kensington, Md./Walter Johnson) broke the single game program point record and tied the goal record as the Allegheny men's lacrosse team defeated Hiram 15-4 Saturday (March 8) in Meadville.
 
Rakis set the point record, and tied the goal record, with an unassisted man-down goal in the fourth quarter.
 
Each team struck once in the first quarter. The Terriers found the back of the net first, taking advantage of an extra-man opportunity about three minutes in. Jack Cushwa (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) provided the Allegheny response minutes later to tie it.
 
Hiram scored first again in the second quarter before the Gators answered with three straight goals. Rakis tied the game off a feed from CT Graniel (Scranton, Pa./Scranton Preparatory). Three minutes later, Rakis scored again, this time from an Alex Crespo (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop). The third goal came with just over a minute left when Rakis fed Anthony DeMarco (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Olmsted Falls) as the Gators gained a 4-2 lead at the halfway point.
 
The momentum carried over to the second half for the Gators as they continued to increase their advantage. Graniel tallied his second assist as Tomi Horsley (Salt Lake City, Utah/Brighton) scored the first goal of the second half. Put in a man-down situation, the Gators gained possession as Cuswha scored his second goal of the contest off a feed from Rakis. A minute later, Rakis completed his hat trick on an unassisted tally. Cushwa would also finish his hat trick in the third, scoring off Graniel's third assist. 
 
After a Terrier goal to start, the Gators responded with five straight goals, including three in a 1:14 stretch. Rakis was responsible for three of those goals while Cushwa and Horsley had the others. With two-and-a-half minutes remaining, Rakis scored his seventh goal of the game to break the single game point record and tie the goal record. 
 
Crespo closed out the scoring off an assist by Konrad Homiak (Hampstead, N.C./Topsail).
 
Inside the Box

• Rakis finished the game with 11 points on seven goals and four assists. He broke his own program point record and tied Patrick Hogan's single game goal record set in 2020. In addition to his offense, he had seven groundballs and caused three turnovers.
• Cushwa found the back of the net four times and had six groundballs.
• Crespo had three points on two goals and an assist.
• Graniel tallied three assists and three groundballs.
• Horsley had a pair of goals.
• DeMarco won 12 faceoffs with eight groundballs while scoring once and assisting on another.
• Homiak recorded an assist, three groundballs and two caused turnovers.
• Liam Kruck (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin) and Griffin Cates (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) had six groundballs apiece while JaMier Hopkins (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Edward) had three.
• Garin Stearns (Hudson, Ohio/Revere) earned the win in net, making 12 saves.
• As a team, the Gators had 53 groundballs and had 17 caused turnovers.

News and Notes

• The Gators moved to 2-2 on the season.
• They are now 5-0 all-time against Hiram.
• Rakis set the program point record with 11 points while tying the goal record with seven. 

Up Next
The Gators remain in Meadville next Saturday (March 15), playing host to Brockport.