The 11th-ranked Middlebury men's lacrosse team utilized a strong first half and played a solid contest at both ends of the field during a 15-9 victory over #5 Union on Tuesday evening in Austin, Texas. The game was played at the Caven Lacrosse and Sports Center on the campus of the University of Texas. 
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Dutchmen tallied the game's first goal when Peter Burnes worked his way around the crease and scored just 1:57 into the first quarter.
• The momentum completely shifted in favor of Middlebury, as the Panthers ripped off the contest's next four goals. 
• Russell Thorndike started the run with a dodge from the right with 10:58 left, while Tyler Forbes and J.D. Farkas scored just 13 seconds apart. Jack Sheehan closed out the quarter, scoring with nine seconds left on a quick-stick feed from Tom Conley.
• Middlebury continued to ride that momentum into the second quarter, tallying the first four goals. Cooper DeMallie found the back of the net twice sandwiched around a goal by Patrick Jamin along with a tally by Thorndike for an 8-1 lead with 3:41 left before the half.
• Union's Jake Mabardy and Zach Davis each scored on sharp-angled bouncing goals, while Bobby Hendry tallied for the Panthers while falling to the ground from eight yards for a 9-3 Middlebury halftime lead.
• With the two sides trading goals in the third quarter, Billy Curtis capped the scoring when he found space just over the shoulder of Dutchmen goalie Dan Donahue for a 13-6 advantage.
• Union pulled to within five (13-8) in the early stages of the final quarter, as Davis and Emmett Lyle scored just 24 seconds apart.
• Middlebury's William Ryan stopped the Union momentum four minutes later, scooping up a loose ball just outside the crease and flicking in a tough-angled shot into the top-right corner.
• Davis brought the Dutchmen to within five (14-9) with 3:41 remaining on a nifty move to his right, before Jamin completed the scoring for the Panthers 1:59 later when he juked two defenders and scored on an underhanded shot for the final 15-9 score.

NOTES

• Thorndike scored twice during the win, giving him at least one goal in each of the five contests.
• Hayden Kern ended the contest with 11 saves, marking the third-straight time and the fourth overall he has tallied a double-digit save total.
• Middlebury featured a balanced scoring output in the victory, as 11 different Panthers recorded a goal.
• With the victory, Middlebury starts its season with a 5-0 record for the first time since the 2013 season.
• The Panthers and the Dutchmen played for the 55th time with Middlebury leading the series 36-19. 

The Panthers conclude their spring break when they return to NESCAC play for a 1:00 p.m. contest on Saturday at Bates.