GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Tusculum University saw several program records fall in a 26-13 rout of Thomas More University in non-conference men’s lacrosse Wednesday afternoon at Pioneer Field.
Luke Bowen tied his season high with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and became the program single-season leader in assists as the Pioneers set single-game team records for assists (24) and points (50) while falling one shy of matching the program mark of 27 goals in a match.
Ben Hobday and Clay Mendez each had three goals and four assists, Ben Royer finished with two goals and five assists and Tysen Fontenla had five goals and an assist for the Pioneers (4-11), who were outshot 46-44 by the Saints but put 35 of their 44 attempts on goal.
Carter McIntyre and Will Nuzzo each scored their first goals of the season, with McIntyre netting four goals and Nuzzo collecting two goals along with an assist. Jayden Thomas scored three goals and Blake Harrison added a tally for the Pioneers, whose 24 assists and 50 points broke the previous records of 20 assists and 47 points set against Emmanuel on March 11, 2017.
Bowen increased his single-season total to 39 assists with his career-high seven, breaking the program record of 37 assists set by Liam Macdonald in 2019. With 65 points, Bowen is four shy of the single-season record of 69 points set by Nate Raymond in 2022.
Tusculum led 7-3 after one quarter and carried a 14-4 lead into halftime, before tacking on six goals apiece in both the third and fourth quarters. Thomas More had a 29-13 edge in faceoffs and a 53-42 advantage in ground balls, but the Saints turned the ball over 24 times in the match.
Wyatt Fruland led Thomas More with four goals and two assists, with three goals and an assist from Spencer Lethbridge and two goals and an assist from Noah Koenig. Joe Mariani had a goal and three assists for the Saints, who were 3-for-4 with the man advantage but just 12-for-16 on clears.
Mariani gave Thomas More a 1-0 lead just 1:57 into the first quarter, but Tusculum would score the next six goals including two each from Fontenla and Bowen. The Pioneers would add another six-goal run in the second quarter, and Thomas beat the halftime buzzer to put Tusculum on top 14-4 at intermission.
Nuzzo and McIntyre each scored their first goals of the season to start the third quarter, but the Saints responded with three straight goals to pull within 16-7 with 7:49 remaining. Goals from Hobday, McIntyre and Royer helped Tusculum to a 20-9 lead after three quarters, and McIntyre and Hobday each scored twice more in the fourth.
Jesse Brown led the Tusculum defense with seven ground balls along with two caused turnovers, with two ground balls and three caused turnovers from Aiden Paczek. Harrison had six ground balls and Drake Vance contributed five along with 10 faceoff wins for the Pioneers. Stephen Schodowski paced the Saints with 15 faceoff wins and 12 ground balls, with eight ground balls off 14 faceoffs for Mario Hill.
Brenden Pecora played into the fourth quarter in goal for the Pioneers, finishing with 11 saves, with Alex Germain adding two saves late in the contest. Trevor Almanza made three saves in the first half and Baker Ebner tallied six stops in the second half for the Saints.
Tusculum will conclude its 2025 season at home on Saturday, April 19 against Emory & Henry, beginning at 4 p.m. The first-ever meeting with the Wasps will also be Senior Day, with pregame salutes to seniors Pecora, Germain, Vance and Nuzzo.
