AMHERST, Mass. – Sophomore attack Bob Gross scored five goals to lead the Amherst College men's lacrosse team to a 12-7 win over Colby College in NESCAC action on Saturday afternoon on Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium.

The Mammoths, ranked 14th in the nation in the latest USILA Division III poll, improved to 4-1 on the season and 2-1 in NESCAC play with their fourth straight win. The Mules fell to 2-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play.

The Mammoths are back in action on Wednesday (March 20), visiting 13th-ranked Gettysburg for a 3:30 p.m. clash.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

* The Mammoths scored the lone goal of a first quarter that was dominated by defense when sophomore midfielder Bennett Chow struck for his third goal of the season midway through the period.

* The Mules tied the score early in the second when senior attack Doug McCarthy scored his first of two goals on the day, but the Mammoths answered with four straight to take control of the game.

* Gross gave the Mammoths the lead again when he picked up a contested ground ball on a rebound from his own shot and circled the goal to score with just under 10 minutes to play before halftime.

* Junior Alex Giacobbe added a man-up goal five minutes later and first-year Brendan Reilly followed before Gross closed the half with his second goal of the game to give the Mammoths a 5-1 halftime lead.

* McCarthy and junior midfielder Bennett Goller scored man-up goals for Colby in the third quarter but each was answered by a score from Gross and Giacobbe netted his second goal of the game in the final minute of the third quarter to stretch the Amherst lead to 8-3.

* The two teams traded goals through the fourth quarter as Gross, Giacobbe and Reilly added tallies for the Mammoths in the final frame before junior attack Jack Murphy scored his second of the season to close the scoring for Amherst.



BY THE NUMBERS:

* Gross' five goals were a season high for the reigning NESCAC Rookie of the Year who has scored in every game this season. Giacobbe tallied his first hat trick of the season.

* Junior Nicholas Kopp went 11-for-21 at the face-off X for the Mammoths.

* Junior goalie Mitch Likins made six saves to earn the win before sophomore Brooks Catlin came on in relief in the fourth quarter and made two saves.

* Likins, Reilly and sophomore midfielder Matthew Sheinberg each picked up five ground balls for the Mammoths.

* Senior attack Max Solmssen led the Mules with two goals and two assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Will Heisler made 15 saves for Colby.