BUENA VISTA, VA -- Junior Ray O'Brien (Scituate, MA) scored three goals and added an assist, while fellow classmate Michael Leone (Vienna) and senior Nick Thompson (Midlothian) scored two goals with an assist, to power Hampden-Sydney College to a, 14-5, season-opening victory over Southern Virginia University, Saturday afternoon at Knight Stadium in Buena Vista, Virginia.

"It was great to get the '23 season kicked off!" said head coach Jason Rostan '03 "February lacrosse is never perfect, but we did some good things and this game will be a good launching point for our team. We're excited for a big week ahead"

The Tigers got off to a quick start with Thompson getting the scoring going just over a minute into the game with a great underhand shot. He was followed up a minute later by junior Ford Burke (Richmond) to push the lead to two. Following a save by fifth-year goalie Will Perry (Roanoke), the Knights' Seth Millington pounced on the loose ball in front of the net and the quick shot found its way home. H-SC got another quick two-goal run to end the first quarter, with a rocket into the top of the net by sophomore Campion White (Apex, NC), and was quickly followed up 28 seconds later by O'Brien to make it 4-1 going into the first break.

H-SC kept the scoring going in the second as Leone netted his first of the afternoon off a great feed from Thompson. Less than a minute later, Thompson found the back of the net once again as he finished off the feed from senior Talmadge Hope (Richmond). Freshman Patrick Hanes (Raleigh, NC) capped off a 5-0 run from the first to the second quarter with a goal off a feed from fifth-year Marshall Flagg (Williamsburg) to make it 7-1 at the half.

Southern Virginia stopped the run 33 seconds into the second half as Sterling Thatcher fired a rocket into the top of the net to beat Perry. Flagg got into the scoring column with just under nine minutes left in the third. Just over two minutes later O'Brien doubled his tally off a Leone feed. Leone then doubled his tally with a man up off the O'Brien feed, flipping the goal and assist from the previous goal. 20 seconds later, with the Tigers, a man down sophomore Gaines Weis (Richmond) scored following a turnover caused by senior Nick Morgan (Issaquah, WA) who took it all the way to feed Weis and give H-SC an 11-2 lead after three quarters.

The Knights started the fourth on a two-goal run in the space of one minute, first getting a goal from Clay Haacke, followed up by Michael Brown to cut the H-SC lead to seven. The Tigers then answered with a three-goal run started by the hat-trick sealing goal for O'Brien just over 30 seconds after the second goal by Southern Virginia. Junior Patrick Saunders (Alexandria) finished the second on a great shot from in front of the goal. Hope got himself in the scoring column with a man-up goal from Saunders' slick feed. The Knights fought back getting a goal 20 seconds later and a man up following a Haacke feed, Gabe King put it home. The Tigers shut it down from there keeping the Knights off the board the rest of the way to secure a 14-5 victory.

The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday, February 26, when they play host to Denison (OH) University. The game is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. at Hellmuth Gibson Field.