LOUISVILLE, Ky.-The Bellarmine lacrosse team fended off a rally from visiting Virginia Military Institute to claim a 13-12 victory in a Southern Conference game at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium on Saturday.
 
The game was certainly a tale of two halves as the Knights looked dominant in the opening 30 minutes, taking a 9-2 lead into halftime.  After the break, it was the Keydets who looked dominant, outscoring Bellarmine 10-4 in the second half. 
 
The game literally went down to the last second.  With time winding down, VMI's Jon Fant drove toward the crease but Bellarmine defender Jon Robbins dislodged the ball from Fant's crosse, and Knights goalie Jordan Dondoyano scooped up the ground ball with just five seconds remaining.  Although Dondoyano's outlet pass to near midfield gave the ball back to the Keydets, time had expired by the time VMI gained possession, and Bellarmine hung on for the win.
 
"In the first half we played with passion and energy," Bellarmine Head Coach Jim Mitchell said. "In the second half, we were outworked and outplayed in all areas. There were a lot of positives today, but as a program we need to be more focused and consistent in our efforts.  Overall, it's great to get a win at home for our seniors and our fans."
 
Ian Miller, the reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the week, put in another good effort today, collecting a hat trick while dishing out three assists. Landon Trout equaled Miller's three goals and added an assist for the Knights. Other scorers for the Knights included Riley Seay (2G, 1A), Morgan Macko (1G, 2A), Stephen Votto (2G), Griffin Bowie (2G) and Josh Wehn (1A).
 
Three Keydets registered hat tricks with Ryan Perouty, Fant and John Daniel leading the VMI offense.
 
Statistically, the game was as even as the score would indicate with both teams getting off 43 shots, 25 on frame. Bellarmine had slight advantages in ground balls (34-32) and faceoffs (15-14).
 
The victory was Bellarmine's second in a row and first at home as the Knights see their record improve to 2-8 overall and pull even at 2-2 in SoCon play.  The Keydets dip to 4-5 overall and 0-4 in league play.
 
Bellarmine goes back on the road for its next action, traveling to Greenville, South Carolina to face Furman.  The Paladins improved to 3-8 on the season, winning their first SoCon game of the year today with a 15-14 victory over Mercer.
 
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