The Bison men’s lacrosse team traveled to Durham, N.C. to face Furman University last Saturday. The Bison used a dominant first half to secure the victory over the Paladins. With a final score of 16-9, the Bison will now look to use this as a springboard to gain momentum and confidence for the rest of the season.

Just a mere nine minutes into the season opener, Harry Wellford ’23 scored the team’s first 2020 goal. Wellford’s score opened the floodgates for the Bison, as they went on to score six more goals in the first quarter to bring the score to 7-1. By the end of the first, senior captain Will Yorke ’20 netted three goals and would add two more in the second quarter. Continuing their dominant performance, the Bison took a 10-1 lead going into halftime.

The Bison did not let up in the second half, as they added four goals in the third quarter and two more in the fourth. Faceoff specialist Nick Crovatto ’22 also had a dominant day, winning 18 of 27 faceoffs. While Ben Clark ’21 saved six shots, the Bison also had a great day defensively. Most notably, Travis Talarico ’22 and captain Conor Shears ’20 held back Furman’s offensive attack.

Two Bison secured weekly Patriot league awards: Yorke as the Patriot League offensive player of the week and Talarico as the Patriot League defensive player of the week. To go along with his five goals, Yorke also secured five ground balls. Talarico also scooped five ground balls while playing dominant defensively. Offensive player of the week can now be added to Yorke’s already impressive resume.

Along with being selected a captain, Yorke was a second-team all-conference selection in 2019 and led last year’s squad in goals (34) and points (45). For Talarico, this award is the start of what should be a promising sophomore campaign after an already impressive freshman season.

“We had a great showing this past weekend. The chemistry all across the field was incredible and it showed in the box score. It was a good omen to the season because each week we take large steps forward on our journey to the Patriot League Championship,” Bryant Boswell ’21.

The Bison will next play at Bryant University this Sunday, Feb. 9. Bryant should prove to be a tough opponent as they are a historically solid program from the NEC. In last year’s meeting, the Bison edged the Bulldogs with a score of 9-6.