LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- The Jacksonville Dolphins were off to the races from the opening whistle, finding the back of the net at will to secure a spot in the ASUN Men's Lacrosse tournament with a flourish.

The Dolphins (7-5, 3-1 ASUN) defeated the Bellarmine Knights 27-7 Saturday afternoon. With its performance, JU set a new single-game program record for goals scored in a game. This is also JU's second 20-plus goal game this season.

Senior Jack Taylor was the leading man, scoring four goals and dishing four assists for a season-high eight points. But it was more than a one-man show, with 19 different players recording at least one point on the day.

The Dolphins were peppering the cage early before freshman Parker Addison got Jacksonville on the board. Sophomore Lucas Fraser forced a turnover and the Dolphins got out on the break, with freshman Grant Maloney cashing in with his first career goal.

Senior Nicky Brown cashed in on a man-up opportunity, a key strength for Jacksonville all day. With 10 seconds left on the clock, senior Gavin Angell picked up a loose ball by the JU crease and sprinted all the way down for a goal with two ticks left in the first quarter.

Bellarmine scored the first goal of the second quarter, but the game changed on the ensuing faceoff. Junior Drew Rippeon won the faceoff and rumbled into the offensive zone before a Bellarmine defender hit him high and late.

The play resulted in a three-minute, non-releasable penalty. The Dolphins would capitalize to blow the game away.

Freshman Zane Czeschin found a soft spot in the zone for the first of eight extra-man goals in the period. Freshman Sean Hassis stepped up at the faceoff stripe, winning four of the next five draws to let JU run it up during the penalty.

Taylor had time and room to punish the top left corner for another JU goal. Senior Quinn Fuller picked up the ground ball on the ensuing faceoff, roaming into acres of space before finding sophomore Daylin John-Hill for another goal.

After a Bellarmine timeout, Taylor found Czeschin for his second goal of the quarter. The Knights won the ensuing faceoff, but Fuller disrupted the play to give the ball back to JU. Brown cashed in on the other end to make it 9-2. 

John-Hill found Taylor to complete the dominant, extra-man period and give JU an eight-goal lead. Bellarmine ended the run, only for graduate student Charlie DiGennaro to get one back with a transition finish.

Another Knights penalty led to another extra-man goal for Czeschin. Senior Tate Jones raced past his man at goal-line extended and cooly finished past the goalie to put JU up 10 at halftime.

Czeschin scored his first even-strength goal of the day, polishing off a feed from Angel to open the second half. He completed his five piece with an early offense goal, courtesy of an assist from Brown. 

Freshman Kai Smith sized up for a step-down but face dodged his defender and finished for another JU goal. Immediately off the ensuing faceoff, Hassis pushed it forward, with Taylor eventually finishing it off with a hammer from long range.

Junior William Krupsky scored his first goal of the game, then he turned playmaker to find Brown for another. The Dolphins officially hit 20 when Taylor fired away in transition off a feed from graduate student Bryce Wojnovich.

Jacksonville sprinted through the end of the third quarter, scoring twice in the final 30 seconds. Jones got his second, then senior Breyden Harrison scored off the faceoff to give JU a 22-3 lead with a quarter to play.

Sophomore Jack Russo got his sixth goal of the season to open the final period of play. Thirty seconds later, Jacksonville scored another transition goal, with junior Drew Kessenich finding the back of the net.

Sophomore Charlie O'Brien got the ball just outside the crease, rolling inside and finishing for his first goal in Jacksonville colors. O'Brien added a second, then junior Maddox Johnson took the stage to cement a piece of JU history.

He set up a long dodge from outside the restraining arc, coming downhill and firing a left-handed shot for Jacksonville's 27th goal of the day, setting the record for single-game goals.

Game Notes

• JU broke its record of 26 goals scored, set in a 26-3 win over Hampton on April 17, 2022.
• Jacksonville held Bellarmine to its second-fewest goals scored in a game this season.
• Hassis finished 21-29 with nine ground balls, all career highs. 
• Graduate student goalie Ryan Della Rocco allowed three goals, his fourth game allowing three or fewer goals this season.
• Five goals tied a season-high for Czeschin.
• Taylor has recorded at least three points in every game this season.

Head Coach John Galloway
"I'm really proud of our guys and how they handled this week. There was a lot of pent up frustration from last week, and I thought our guys channeled that the right way. Our focus was solely on extending our season, and our guys answered that challenge. The turning point was obviously the Rippeon hit, and our guys rallied around their brother. It says a lot about their investment in each other."

Up Next
The Dolphins will travel to Macon, Georgia, for the final game of the regular season against the Mercer Bears. Opening faceoff is scheduled for next Saturday at noon.