Following a SAA Championship heart-breaker last season, the Rhodes Lynx Men's Lacrosse team began their season in the win column Sunday, February 19, with a 17-13 rout of the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans on the road in Bloomington, Illinois. 

Sophomore Drew Downes showed up and showed out to fuel the offense for the Lynx scoring 7 goals and notching one assist. He had 10 of the team's total 35 shots on goal which accounted for an individual shot on goal percentage (SOG%) of 76.9% with 13 total shot attempts. The marksman stepped up early this season for Head Coach Dave Zazzaro after 29 total goals last season during his freshman year.

Both teams had the same amount of shot attempts at 50, 18 saves, and 20 turnovers. Both nearly had the same amount of ground balls recovered as Illinois Wesleyan got the 44-43 edge over the Lynx. The difference in the final score was exactly the same difference in shots on goal attempts as Rhodes finished with a total of 35 to the Titans' 31. 

As soon as the first 15 began ticking, the Lynx began clicking on offense with 3 assisted goals and 3 unassisted goals to go up 6-3 after an impressive bevy of 22 shot attempts with 13 of those on goal. The Lynx had much more efficient splits with 10 shots on goal in the second quarter of 13 total attempts to once again outscore the Titans 5-2 as the Lynx went up 11-5 at the half.

The Titans came out with an aggressive response in the second half scoring 8 goals in 16 shots on goals of a total 31 shots, but the Rhodes defensive forces led by Brogan Balasubramani, David Hart, and efforts in midfield from Lucas Pagliarulo kept the Lynx in it to win it. Pagliarulo led the team with 9 ground balls recovered as the duo of Balasubramani and Hart combined for 9 ground balls of their own with 5 caused turnovers. Hart led the team last year as a freshman with 57 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers garnering him the award for SAA Newcomer of the Year.

Despite the 8 goal effort in the second half from the Titans, the Lynx still responded with 6 of their own to complete the wire-to-wire win and improve to 1-0 on the season. Miles Pollack finished second behind Downes with 3 goals all unassisted. Geist Pollock followed with 2 of his own, while Pagliarulo, Drew Litner, Sammy Carter, Conor Casey, and Martin Maxim each contributed 1 goal a piece. Litner led with 3 of the team's 10 total assists.

The Rhodes Lynx return to action for their home opener at Crain Field this Saturday, February 25, against Translvania University.