STEVENSON, Md. – Senior captain PJ Clementi scored a career-high six goals to lead the Amherst College men's lacrosse team in an 18-14 win over Gettysburg College in a matchup of two nationally ranked teams on Saturday afternoon in the Mustang Classic at Stevenson University's Mustang Stadium.

The Mammoths, ranked 17th in the nation in the latest USILA Division III Poll, improved to 3-1 on the season while the 10th-ranked Bullets fell to 5-3. The Mammoths are back in action Wednesday (March 23), visiting Springfield at 7 p.m.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Bullets got on the board first, taking a 2-0 lead when senior midfielder Griffin Gallagher and junior midfielder Michael Zima scored 58 seconds apart. The Mammoths drew level later in the quarter when Clementi and junior attack Brock Gonzalez scored 30 seconds apart to tie the score at 3-3 with junior midfielder Bayard DeMallie assisting on both tallies.

* Bullets junior midfielder Connor Koch scored the final goal of the first quarter to put Gettysburg up by one but the Mammoths opened the third quarter with three straight goals and held the lead for the rest of the game. Clementi tied the game at 4-4 and DeMallie scored a man-up goal 15 seconds later to give the Mammoths the lead. First-year midfielder Ben Bruno scored his first collegiate goal 80 seconds after that to put the Mammoths up by two.

* After senior midfielder Kieran Ward scored for the Bullets, the Mammoths went on a 5-0 run to go up by an 11-5 margin when senior midfielder Carter Tate scored to cap the rally with 7:10 to go in the second quarter. Junior defenseman Ethan Opdahl scored in the final minute of the first half and the Mammoths held a 12-8 lead at halftime.

* Gettysburg junior midfielder Zack Kinsella scored with two seconds to go in the third quarter and the Bullets scored the first two goals of the fourth to get back within one when senior attack Spencer Knife scored with just under 10 minutes to go in the game, but Clementi scored three of his six goals in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach with Gonzalez adding his fifth of the game.



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Clementi's six goals are a new career high and the senior attack has scored multiple goals in every game this season. Gonzalez added five goals today and has scored a hat trick in every game this season. Junior midfielder Tanyr Krummenacher also extended his scoring streak with a goal and two assists and has scored in all four games this season.

* DeMallie scored two goals and added four assists for a career-best six points.

* First-year goalie Mitch Likins made 11 saves for the Mammoths to earn the win on his birthday.

* First-year Nicholas Kopp won 27 of 36 face-offs and picked up 14 ground balls as the Mammoths held a 48-36 advantage in ground balls. Kopp leads the NESCAC with 9.8 ground balls per game this season.

* The Mammoths caused five Gettysburg turnovers, including a collegiate-best three caused turnovers by first-year defenseman Lawson Laverty.