LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bellarmine lacrosse earned its first conference win of the season Saturday afternoon at Owsley B. Frazier Stadium, but it was anything but easy. The Knights trailed Mercer by three goals three separate times in the third quarter before finally getting over the hump late in the fourth to earn a 17-14 win.
 
"This was a tough, scrappy conference battle and our kids competed and showed the poise of a veteran team," said Bellarmine head coach Andrew Whitley. "My staff and I continue to believe in the potential of this group because of moments like today."
 
With the win, Bellarmine's senior class became the winningest class in program history with 31 victories.
 
"We stayed true to our process and our plan," Whitley said. "We continued to execute good plays and good decisions despite not always getting the results we wanted. The ability to do that in an adverse situation is a huge step forward for our guys. By staying true to our process, we played our best lacrosse in the most important moments."
 
ASUN Player of the Year candidate John Alie keyed the Bellarmine attack with five goals and a pair of assists, both to younger brother Joe Alie. The older Alie's seven points on the day give him 69 on the season, just 10 shy of matching Kyle Playsted's program record 79 in 2023. He also ran his goal total to 45, just five shy of Christian Della Rocco's program record 50 in 2023. At the start of play Saturday, he was tied for second nationally in goals.
 
"John Alie played like you expect a prolific offensive player to play and he was unrelenting in imposing his will on the game," Whitley said.
 
Bellarmine (7-7, 1-2 ASUN) jumped out to a 2-0 lead on scores by John Alie and Ezra Moore before Mercer (2-9, 1-2 ASUN) answered with four straight goals, the first three by sophomore Dillon Bush. Moore's goal gave him 40 points on the season, moving him past Riley Seay's Bellarmine freshman record of 39 in 2019. Leo Prosser then added his fourth goal of the season on a drive from behind the cage to cut the Knights' deficit to one at 4-3 heading into the second.
 
Bush netted his fourth goal 95 seconds into the second before an extended scoreless spell for both teams, which Bush himself would end with his fifth goal with 6:06 left until the break to put the Bears up 6-3.
 
Bellarmine would score the next three goals—one each by Joe Alie, Prosser and John Alie—to bring the score even. Bush, however, netted a buzzer-beating goal at the end of the half to give the Bears a 7-6 advantage. It was Bush's sixth goal, setting a new career high.
 
Five different Bears scored goals in the third, including Bush for his seventh, as they extended their lead to 12-9.
 
After three straight scores by the Knights to close the third quarter and begin the fourth, capped by an equalizer from Justin Wescoat with 13:30 left, Mercer's Michael Frederick put the Bears back in front at 13-12 nine seconds later with his third score of the day.
 
Prosser would then score a tying goal to give him his first career hat trick. After yet another Bears score, Wescoat brought the Knights even once again at 14-14 with his second goal. This, however, would be the final tie of the game.
 
With three minutes remaining, a scrum ensued while Bellarmine was on the attack. Michael Blaymires came away with the ball and bounced in the go-ahead goal for the Knights from the left side with 2:53 remaining. From there, Moore and Prosser would add insurance goals to bring the game to its final score of 17-14.
 
"Leo Prosser had a breakout game today," Whitley said of his freshman attack. "He's been very much a facilitator this season and today the Mercer defense challenged him to make play and he delivered with a crescendo. Today he was a difference maker."
 
Prosser finished with four goals and five points overall after entering the game with three goals and five points on the season.
 
Moore tallied two goals and three assists to give him five points, one shy of matching his career high. It was his fifth three-assist effort of the season.
 
"Joe Alie, Ezra Moore, Justin Wescoat and Michael Blaymires continue to produce but their ability to maintain possession and let the offense play out was terrific to watch," Whitley said.
 
In the cage for Bellarmine, keeper Nolan Hudnut made 13 saves, right on his ASUN-leading per-game average. He now has 182 saves in his freshman campaign.
 
As a unit, the Knights defense held the Bears scoreless over the final 7:59.
 
On the faceoff dot, Cole Messick won 17 of 31 while handling the faceoff duties exclusively.
 
"Cole Messick was a grinder today," Whitley said. "The battle at the faceoff X was physical and relentless and Cole just kept after ground balls over and over and gave us critical possessions at critical moments."
 
Despite the six first-half goals, Bush, the Bears' leading goal scorer with 32 on the season, was held to just the single goal in the second half as the lead eventually slipped away. Frederick totaled four goals while Jack Sullivan registered a goal and three assists.
 
Like Hudnut, Bears keeper Rand Paddack made 13 saves.
 
Up next, Bellarmine heads to Jacksonville to face the Dolphins next Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.
 
"We'll enjoy this victory, but it'll be on to Jacksonville this week," Whitley concluded. "We need to continue developing and playing with poise. We have the talent to play with anyone in this league, but poise and consistency are the key. Jacksonville has had our number recently, but if we stay the course and continue to stack good play after good play, we will have opportunities against Jacksonville."
 
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