ROCHESTER, NY – Sophomore attack James Crowe scored four times as the 14th-ranked Mercyhurst University men's lacrosse team won its third straight game and climbed above .500 for the first time this season Wednesday with a 12-4 non-conference victory over Roberts Wesleyan. The Lakers are now 5-4 in 2015 while the Redhawks dropped to 3-9.

Sophomore Keyan McQueen scored twice in a six-goal first period outburst that produced a four-goal margin after 15 minutes.

Junior Cory Becker started the scoring just 63 seconds into the contest with his 14th goal of the season. After the Redhawks tied the game at 10:38 on a goal by leading-scorer Dom Cianfarano, McQueen collected his 11th at 8:57 and junior Shane Endres followed suit with his second of the year 25 seconds later. Freshman Ryan Vitale recorded his first collegiate assist on the play. Cianfarano cut the deficit to 4-2 with his second of the game at 7:58, but the Lakers closed the quarter with tallies from Crowe, his 16th, sophomore John Plaskey, his 10th, and McQueen.

Senior Trevor Vargo (shorthanded, his 15th) and senior Brett Williams (his 3rd) sandwiched goals around a Roberts Wesleyan goal from Mike Hubert in the second quarter as Mercyhurst opened an 8-3 advantage at intermission.

Crowe stole the show in the third quarter. After Matt Benedict scored an extra-man goal for the Redhawks at 13:43, Crowe registered even strength markers at 7:46, 2:48, and 1:07 as Mercyhurst stretched its lead to 11-4 after 45 minutes.  

The Lakers took their foot off the accelerator in the final quarter as sophomore Derek Richards concluded the scoring at 4:57 with his seventh of the season and fourth in the last two games.

Williams also had a four-point night, finishing with a goal and three assists. McQueen finished with three points (two goals, one assist) while Plaskey had a goal and an assist joining Crowe and Williams with multiple points.

Mercyhurst outshot Roberts Wesleyan 27-20 and put 21 attempts on goal to only 10 for the Redhawks. The Lakers won 12 of 20 faceoffs and gobbled up 25 of 47 ground balls. 

Graduate student goaltender Michael Grace made six saves for Mercyhurst as he improved his record to 5-4. Keith Keehn (2-9) totaled nine saves for Roberts Wesleyan.

Crowe's four goals were the second highest one-game output in his young career. He had five March 1 of this year in a 15-5 decision over Queens University of Charlotte (NC). He leads the Lakers with 19 goals.

Mercyhurst will take to the highway again this Friday when it travels to Parkersburg, W.Va., to take on Ohio Valley University in an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) match. The contest was originally scheduled February 21, but was postponed because of inclement weather. Start time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.