LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The Bellarmine Knights gave head coach Andrew Whitley career number one in record-setting fashion on Tuesday, romping past the Hampton Pirates 21-5 in their 2020 home debut at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium.
 
Twelve different Knights found the back of the net, as Bellarmine put up the most goals in school history as a full Division I member.  Leading the way was Brayden Brown, who scored the first goal less than a minute into the contest and went on to add three more to raise his season total to nine in just three games.
 
"I was happy we shared the ball as much as we did," said Whitley.  "When we play disciplined, simple offense, we can be very effective. Brayden Brown is scoring the ball at a high level right now, and I'm hoping we can ride that wave for a little while.  He's playing with a lot of confidence."
 
Bellarmine put the game out of reach early, running out to a 19-1 advantage through three quarters.  In fact, during the first 45 minutes of play, the only goal the Knights surrendered was on an extra man opportunity early in the first period.  Statistics through three quarters of play showed Bellarmine with a 50-8 shot advantage while limiting Hampton to just 8 of 20 on clears.
 

"We were very effective riding clearing today, and that's a credit to the entire team," Whitley said. "It's become a big part of our identity.  Our attack has really committed to it, and it's a critical part of us being effective in that aspect of the game."
 
Whitley was able to go deep into his bench today as all three goalies got in the game and 17 players got off shots.  Landon Trout was the game's leading scorer with five points on a pair of goals and three assists while several freshmen recorded their first career goals, including Jesse Roth who collected a hat trick.
 
Final statistics showed Bellarmine with a 58-16 shot advantage, and the Knights picked up six more ground balls than the Pirates (36-30) despite Hampton winning 17 of 28 faceoffs. The Knights also won the turnover battle, forcing 30 Pirate miscues while giving it up 21 times.
 
The Knights will stay at home for a 1 p.m. Saturday game against St. Bonaventure before finishing up four games in 11 days by hitting the road on Tuesday for a game at Detroit-Mercy.
 
"They don't get any easier going forward, so we'll need to maintain focus over the next couple of weeks," Whitley said.
 
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