Woodson Establishes New Single-Game Standard For Assists In 13-8 Win Against Neumann

BALTIMORE, Md. – Matt Woodson (Timonium, Md./McDonough) established a new program record with eight assists to lead Goucher College past Neumann University in non-conference men's lacrosse action on Wednesday.

The Gophers (4-3) jumped out to a 7-3 lead at halftime and Woodson had a hand in all seven tallies after posting one goal and six assists in the first 30 minutes. He then assisted Zephan Harnish (Woodsboro, Md./Walkersville) with 6:33 left in the third quarter to tie the program record for assists in a single game. After scoring his second goal of the night early in the fourth quarter, the junior dished out an assist on Rashaan Evans (Salisbury, Md./Parkside) first goal of the night with 7:55 left to set a new standard.

Woodson finished the game with two goals and eight assists for 10 points. The 10 points are the most since Conner Annunziato posted 10 points on three goals and seven assists at Millsap on February 13, 2015. Annunziato and Tim Asher, who handed out seven helpers against Lycoming on March 1, 1997 were tied for the single-game program record for assists before Woodson's career night on Wednesday.

Woodson, who dished out 27 assists last season, has 20 assists in his junior campaign along with 12 goals to lead the team with 32 points. In the four-game winning streak, Woodson has registered nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points. 

Harnish added four goals and two assists for six points in the win. The senior posted multiple assists in back-to-back games after dishing out multiple assist once in his career coming into his senior campaign. It is his third-straight game with at least five points and his fourth of his career while he has recorded four or more goals for the second time in three games and the third time in his career.

Jared Heath (Windham, N.H../New Hampton) and Andrew Sade (Lewisberry, Pa./Northern York) each added three markers in the winning effort. Heath posted his second-straight hat trick while Sade recorded his second of the year and seventh of his career.

Harnish, Heath, Woodson and Sade took care of the scoring in the first quarter to give Goucher a 5-0 advantage. Woodson set up Harnish for the first tally at 13:26 and then Sade scored off a Woodson feeder at 5:57. Woodson found the back of the net off a Harnish feeder at 4:39 before Woodson connected with Heath at 3:33 and 2:30 for a five-goal lead.

After the Knights scored three times in the second quarter, but Woodson to Harnish at 1:44 and with four seconds left handed the Gophers a 7-3 lead at the break.

The first goal Goucher scored that Woodson did not have a hand in was the first marker of the second half while Sade scored off a Grant Lasorda (Collegeville, Pa./Germantown Academy) assist at 12:09 in the third quarter. After Neumann answered, the Gophers rolled off the next three tallies. Harnish set up Sade at 9:40, Heath completed his hat trick thanks to a connection from Jimmy Russo (Frederick, Md./Saint John's Catholic) at 8:13 before Harnish twinkled the twine for the fourth time in the game off a Woodson assist at 6:33 in the third to give Goucher an 11-5 lead going into the fourth quarter. 

Woodson took it himself at 12:04 and then dished out the program-record assist to Evans with 7:55 on the clock to help seal a 13-8 victory. 

Lukas Glaser (Ringwood, N.J./Lakeland Regional) paced the defense with four ground balls and two caused turnovers while Woodson, Eric Bowden (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) and Mick Togo (Wilmington, Del./Tower Hill) each had two ground balls and two caused turnovers. 

Justin Lugo (Davie, Fla./Saint Andrew's School)  made 11 saves to help the Goucher to its fourth-straight win while the Gophers won despite going 5-for-22 in faceoffs. The team notched its first four-game winning streak since registering a six-game winning streak during the 2016 season.

Goucher returns to action at Frostburg State on Saturday. Game time is 2 p.m.