HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Senior Ford Burke (Richmond) scored three goals and added two assists, and sophomore Patrick Hanes (Raleigh, NC) scored three goals to help lead Hampden-Sydney College to an 11-9 victory over Ohio Northern University, Sunday afternoon at Hellmuth-Gibson Field.

"Really good win for our team today," said head coach Jason Rostan '03. "We had to grind possession by possession and found a way to take control of the game in the fourth quarter. ONU is tough, very well-coached, and full of fifth-year and senior players. This was a good test for us and I'm proud of how our team closed the game."

The Polar Bears wasted no time getting the scoring started for the game, scoring just over a minute into the game. H-SC had a response, as Hanes got the feed from Burke and put it past the goalie to level the game at one. Ohio Northern struck back, taking the lead with 7:36 to go, before Burke answered, beating his defender with a spin move and finishing over the shoulder of the goalie. The Tigers made it two straight as on the fast break junior Gaines Weis (Richmond) got the pass and found senior Michael Leone (Vienna) right in front of the crease for the falling finish. Ohio Northern was not done, answering back 39 seconds later to make it a 3-3 game after 15 minutes.

Ohio Northern struck first again in the second quarter to take the lead just a minute into the game on the man-up advantage. H-SC answered, as Leone took the ball around the back of the net, Hanes was calling for the pass up top and Leone found him for a shot that rifled past the goalie and into the top of the net. The Tigers made it two in a row, as with 3:27 left, senior Luke Helfgott (Arlington) found junior Campion White (Apex, NC) on the right wing and he made a quick move to his left and fired a left-handed shot passed the goalie to give H-SC a one-goal advantage. The Polar Bears answered once more, getting a goal with 1:26 left on the clock to take the game to halftime at five apiece.

Less than a minute after halftime, the Polar Bears took the lead and doubled it just under two minutes later. Off a face-off, junior Conor Kilfeather (Wyndmoor, PA) picked up the loose ball and took it all the way, beating the goalie at the far post to halve the deficit. Burke scored his second of the game with 8:23 remaining in the third quarter, as he beat his man behind the goal and rolled out to the right wing before turning and firing a shot passed the goalie to knot the game at seven going into the final quarter.

It was the Tigers who struck first in the fourth quarter, as Burke found White cutting to the net on the man advantage and connected with him for the quick release and goal. White made a simple pass to find Hanes on the left side of the cage, and Hanes fired a shot from a tough angle passed the goalie to make it two unanswered for H-SC. Ohio Northern answered almost immediately, scoring 31 seconds later to cut the lead to one. The Tigers capitalized on the man advantage once more, as senior Patrick Saunders (Alexandria) found Leone with a simple pass, and he applied the leaping finish to get the lead back to two. Burke added some insurance with his hat trick, working around his defender and then firing a shot between two bodies and past the goalie to give H-SC a three-goal lead. That lead did not hold at three, as with 1:22 left on the clock the Polar Bears got one back to cut the lead to two and make it a final of 11-9.

Burke scored three to go along with two assists and Hanes added three himself. Leone and White each had two goals and one assist. Kilfeather scored one goal and added five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Saunders and Helfgott each added an assist, while Weis had an assist and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Evan Yntema (Summerfield, NC) went 9-15 on face-offs and sophomore Luke Popow (Holly Springs, NC) went 7-9.

Senior Peter Smith (Warrenton) got the win, making six saves on 15 shots on target.

The Tigers will be back in action when they travel to Berry (GA) College for a non-conference match-up on Wednesday, March 13. The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in Mount Berry, Georgia.