WINCHESTER, Va. -- Chris Martel netted a hat trick and became the Bridgewater College men's lacrosse team's all-time goal leader as the Eagles prevailed, 11-8, against Shenandoah at Shentel Stadium on Wednesday night.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Bridgewater 11, Shenandoah 8
Records: Bridgewater 6-5, 3-2 ODAC; Shenandoah 5-8, 2-3 ODAC

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Hornets wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Max Myers found the back of the net less than 50 seconds into the game. Bridgewater eventually found the equalizer as Trevor McClelland scored an unassisted tally with 20 seconds remaining in the opening period as the score was deadlocked at 1-1 after the first 15 minutes.
• The Eagles took the lead in the early goings of the second quarter as Hayden Gourley found Riley Stewart who beat the goalie to give BC a 2-1 edge with 13:48 left in the half. Shenandoah responded with a goal from Jake Green and another from Tyler Held to go ahead 3-2 with 9:01 showing on the clock.
• Connor McLean scored unassisted to tie the game two minutes later before McLean connected with Martel to push the Eagles back in front, 4-3, with three minutes to go in the half. The Hornets didn't go down quietly as Held got his second of the game with under a minute left to send the game into the halftime break tied at 4-4. 
• Held finished his hat trick in the opening minutes of the third quarter to get the home side in front, once again, but it was Jim Davis finding a pass from Ryan Linn at the 4:39 mark that tied the game at 5-5 and started a scoring run from the Eagles. Colby Smith pitched in a goal less than a minute after Davis' strike to put BC in front and the McLean-to-Martel connection struck again as the Eagles went up 7-5 with two and a half minutes left in the third.
• The 7-5 score line held true until McClelland picked up his second goal of the game nearly five minutes into the final period. Held scored his fourth of the game to get the Hornets back within two goals, but Gabriel Alexander, who was named to the USILA Division III Team of the Week a day ago, won his own faceoff and went on to score less than 15 seconds later to give BC another three-goal advantage, 9-6. McLean found Martel for the third time in the game to get up to a four-goal edge before Shenandoah came back with another score at the 5:58 mark.
• With three minutes left in the contest, McLean was fed by Luke Wendler to put in another insurance goal as the Eagles held on for an 11-8 win.

GAME FACTS

• Martel now stands atop the Bridgewater record book with 163 career goals and counting. He passes Blake Mann (2015-2018) who finished his collegiate career with 161 goals. Martel entered the 2023 campaign in third on the all-time listing and ranked 14th among active NCAA Division III goal scorers entering tonight's game. Martel finished tonight with a team-best three goals and records his sixth game with at least three goals this season.
• In addition, McLean finished with three assists and a pair of goals for a five-point performance. Just a week after becoming the first player in team history with 100 career assists and second player to 200 career points, McLean is now tied for 10th in the ODAC record book with 111 career assists. He is 13 points shy of tying the program's all-time points mark (Eric Husselbaugh, 218; 2018-2021). He also ranked 14th among active Division III players in career assists before the game tonight. 
• McClelland pitched in a pair of goals, while Alexander, Davis, Smith and Stewart all scored a goal as well. 
• Wendler, Gourley and Linn each added assists, as well. 
• Alexander went 15-for-21 in faceoffs and picked up 12 ground balls in the win. 
• McLean, Eddie Ross IV, Ryan Addison and Tyler Carney all grabbed four ground balls, while Stewart snagged three. 
• Jacob Mead, Jackson Wicker, Grant Nyland and Michael Long all caused a turnover in the win.
• Carney played lights out in the cage stopping 20 shots to set a new career high in saves. Across the field, Mark Isabelle made 14 saves in the loss.
• Shenandoah outshot the Eagles 51-35 but Bridgewater held a 45-32 edge in ground balls and also won eight more faceoffs.

UP NEXT
Bridgewater is back in action for Senior Day on Saturday, April 15, as it hosts Roanoke at 1 pm.