Box Score SPARKS, Md. – Redshirt sophomore attackman Robert Grasso (Islip, N.Y.) became Felician University's all-time goals leader and redshirt junior faceoff man Tajae McLean-Byrd (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded his 200th career ground ball as the Golden Falcons defeated Alderson-Broaddus University, 16-4, in non-conference men's lacrosse action at Tierney Field.
The game was the 2022 opener for both schools. Felician began the fifth season in program history by winning a lid-lifter for the first time.
Grasso scored six goals and set a Golden Falcon record with five assists. The 11 points tied his own single-game school mark set last season against Post University. The six goals brought his career total to 48, one more than Ausar Wright had from 2019-21. Grasso was playing in his 15th collegiate contest.
With a game-high 12 ground balls, McLean-Byrd became the first Golden Falcons to reach 200 for a career (currently 201). The milestone came in his 26th game. On Sunday, he was 17 for 22 on faceoffs and added an assist.
Felician jumped out to a 5-0 lead, with its first three scores coming from freshmen. Finn Crocker (South Hamilton, Mass.), Drew Gisinger (Toms River, N.J.) and Luke Dayton (Haddon Township, N.J.) all tallied within the first five minutes. Sophomore Jabes Escalante (Chelsea, Mass.) found the cage at 4:55 of the first and 13:56 of the second period, but the Golden Falcons were held off the scoreboard from that point to halftime and Alderson-Broaddus closed to within 5-3 at the break.
The Golden Falcon defense, however, held the Battlers to one second half goal. Felician rattled off the game's next eight goals before AB broke the streak to trail, 13-4, with 5:55 remaining.
Felician freshman goalkeeper Nick Grebe (Farmingville, N.Y) earned his first collegiate victory with nine saves, helping the Golden Falcons set a school record for least goals allowed. Freshman Liam Dunn (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) paced the defense with 10 ground balls and four turnovers. In total, five Felician freshmen, including Filipe Correia (Brick, N.J.) and Tyler Quinn (Barnegat, N.J.) notched their initial college goals.
Escalante finished with four goals and Crocker scored twice for the Golden Falcons. Felician's 57 shots and 72 ground balls were team single-game records and the 16 goals tied another. Battler goalie Noah Christopher (Chester, Md.) was credited with 20 saves.
Felician plays its home opener on Friday at 6 p.m. against D'Youville College at Tryon Field in Rutherford, N.J.
