Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
3-0
Yale University
0-2
No. 8 Men’s Lacrosse Dominates No. 16 Yale
February 19, 2025 | Men's Lacrosse
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The No. 8 Army West Point men's lacrosse team (3-0) delivered a commanding 14-3 victory over No. 16 Yale (0-2) on Wednesday afternoon in New Haven.
Brayden Fountain and Gunnar Fellows led the Black Knights' offensive charge, each recording a hat trick and an assist. Jackson Eicher added four points, contributing two goals and two assists to the win.
At the faceoff X, Will Coletti won 10 of 18 attempts and led the team with seven ground balls. Defensively, Christian Fournier and Ryan Nixon caused a team-high three turnovers apiece, while AJ Pilate secured three contested ground balls.
In net, reigning Patriot League Player of the Week Sean Byrne was stellar, tallying 16 saves and allowing just three goals throughout the afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Army wasted no time setting the tone, as Coletti won the opening faceoff and charged straight to goal, scoring just four seconds into the game. Both teams battled through a scoreless stretch until Fellows found Fountain for his first goal of the afternoon at the 7:37 mark, giving Army a 2-0 lead.
That goal ignited an offensive surge for the Black Knights. Less than a minute later, Fountain assisted Evan Plunkett to push the lead to 3-0. Just 40 seconds after that, Grant Masterson found the back of the net, and 30 seconds later, Eicher capitalized with an unassisted goal, stretching Army's lead to 5-0 with 5:42 left in the first quarter.
Following a three-minute defensive battle, Yale was penalized, giving Army a man-up opportunity. The Black Knights wasted no time, as Eicher connected with Fellows for a goal, extending the lead to 6-0. Moments later, Nixon found Fountain on the doorstep for his second goal of the game.
Yale finally got on the board with 1:14 left in the first quarter, entering the second frame trailing 7-1.
The second quarter began with another defensive standoff, as both teams went scoreless for the first seven minutes. A man-up opportunity allowed Yale to score its second goal at the 7:53 mark. Army quickly responded just a minute later when Plunkett found Eicher for his second goal of the afternoon. The Black Knights' defense, anchored by Byrne, shut down Yale for the remainder of the half, while Fellows and Plunkett each added another goal to send Army into halftime with a commanding 10-2 lead.
Yale struck early in the third quarter, converting on another man-up opportunity just 1:20 into the period. However, that would be the Bulldogs' final goal of the day, as Army's defense and Byrne locked them down for the remainder of the game.
On the other end, the Black Knights continued to pour it on, with Fountain, Finn McCullough, Fellows, and Plunkett all finding the back of the net in the second half. Army closed out the game with a dominant 14-3 victory.
NEXT UP
Army will travel to Naples, Fla., for a neutral-site matchup against Mercer at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex on Saturday, Feb. 22, at noon.
