GREENVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny men's lacrosse team traveled to Thiel Wednesday (April 8) and collected a 21-4 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) victory.
 
The Gators scored the first two goals of the game. JP Rakis (Kensington, Md./Walter Johnson) scored first off an assist by Griffin Cates (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) before Rakis assisted Tomi Horsley (Salt Lake City, Utah/Brighton) for the second goal. The Tomcats answered with two goals to tie it, but the Gators quickly regained the lead. Rakis scored his second goal, assisted by Nathan Wheeler (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake), a minute later before adding an assisted goal in the final thirty seconds of the quarter.
 
Allegheny controlled the momentum of the second quarter, scoring seven goals without allowing any. Rakis scored three more times, and assisted twice, in the frame. Wheeler had a pair of goals while Horsley and Cates also found the back of the net. Jack Pearl (Ladera Ranch, Calif./JSerra Catholic), Gabe Shoemaker (Brunswick, Maine/Brunswick) and Shoemaker also had assists as the Gators led 11-2 at the halftime break.
 
The third quarter saw the Gators outpace the Tomcats 5-1. Cates had a pair of goals and an assist in the 15 minute span. Pearl, Shoemaker and Horsley also tallied a goal while Rakis had two assists.
 
The Gators concluded the game by once again outscoring Thiel 5-1 in the fourth. Wheeler produced a hat trick in the frame while also adding an assist. Cates and Horsley added to their goal totals while Rakis had his sixth assist.
 
Inside the Box

• Rakis led the offense with six goals and six assists. He also added six groundballs while causing two turnovers.
• Wheeler finished with a season-high seven points in five goals and two assists while collecting five groundballs.
• Cates had career-highs with seven points on four goals while also grabbing 10 groundballs. 
• Horsley had a season-high four goals with five groundballs.
• Pearl had a goal and an assist while scooping up a season best 10 groundballs.
• Shoemaker closed out the scoring with a goal and an assist. Additionally, he went five-of-seven on faceoffs with six groundballs.
• Mikko Horsley (Salt Lake City, Utah/Utah Military Academy) won 12 faceoffs, picking up five groundballs.
• Chris Williams (North Tonawanda, N.Y./St. Joseph's Collegiate) and Jason Eason (Westlake, Ohio/Westlake) had five groundballs apiece while Jack Brandstatter (Broomfield, Colo./Dawson School) had four.
• Garin Stearns (Hudson, Ohio/Revere) made five saves in goal while Austin Aspenwall (Maineville, Ohio/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy) had two. 

News and Notes

• Allegheny is now 5-0 all-time against Thiel.
• Rakis had his eighth career game with double digit points.
• The Gators set a program record with 74 groundballs. 

Up Next
The Gators celebrate senior day Saturday (April 11) against Washington and Jefferson.