Adler Makes 15 Saves in Victory over No. 16 Richmond

Sunday, March 7

Richmond, Va.

4 P.M.

Duke University

6-0

Richmond

1-3

Duke

Richmond

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Adler Makes 15 Saves in Victory over No. 16 Richmond

3/7/2021 6:27:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. – Duke attackman Michael Sowers scored three goals and five points overall to lead the second-ranked Blue Devils to a 13-6 win at No. 16 Richmond in men's lacrosse action Sunday afternoon. Sowers led a balanced offensive effort from Duke that featured eight different goal scorers.

Duke moves to 6-0 for the program's best start since the 2008 squad started 8-0. Richmond drops to 1-3 with all three setbacks coming against top 25 foes.

Once again, Duke's defense was outstanding as it held Richmond to its fewest goal total of the season. In goal, Mike Adler had a season-high 15 saves and two ground balls. The Spiders scored just six goals on 39 shots.

Rookie Aidan Danenza registered a career-high three points from a goal and two assists, while four players overall had at least two goals. Sowers' five points push his career total to 334. Montgomery had one goal and two assists, his fifth straight game with at least three points.

The Blue Devils got off to a fast start, scoring four goals in the first 7:30 for a 4-0 advantage. With goals from four different Blue Devils, senior Nakeie Montgomery started the action off an assist from Michael Sowers. Just over a minute later, it was a rookie connection as Danenza found a wide open Brennan O'Neill for a strike. Robertson added a solo effort and Owen Caputo scored in transition to cap the stellar start.

Ryan Lanchbury got the Spiders on the board at the 7:05 mark and Duke's offense cooled off from its hot start as the Blue Devils were held scoreless for the final 7:30.

Leading 4-1 into the second quarter, sophomore Dyson Williams ended Duke's scoring drought at 10:36 with an unassisted score. Richmond answered with two goals before the Blue Devils finished the half on a 4-0 run for the 9-3 halftime lead.

Four different players scored in the 4-0 spurt with Sowers and Danenza getting their first tallies of the day and O'Neill and Caputo their second. Seven different players scored goals in the first half and Duke's defense held the Spiders to three goals on 19 shots. Adler had eight stops in the first half, including stealing a few right on the doorstep.

Just like it has done all season, Duke's defense put the clamps on its opponents' offense for over 15 minutes. The Blue Devils held the Spiders without a goal for 22:05 over the span of the second and third quarters.

Duke only managed to score twice during Richmond's scoring drought and tacked on two more goals in the fourth quarter to come away with the seven-goal victory.

Lanchbury finished the day with three goals and an assist to lead Richmond. The Spiders outshot Duke, 39-34, while Duke won the ground ball battle, 24-23. At the faceoff X, Jake Naso won 12-of-23 and had nine ground balls.

Richmond goalie Jack Rusbuldt made eight saves in the loss.

Duke returns to action Wednesday, March 10, hosting No. 19 High Point at 7 p.m., on ESPNU.

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