Richmond earns first conference win of the season over St. Bonaventure

Opening conference play, the University of Richmond men’s lacrosse team laid out St. Bonaventure University 22-5 in a record-tying victory on Saturday, March 29. 

The Spiders drew a hard line on both sides of the field, taking down the Bonnies. This massive score gap marked the largest margin of victory for the Spiders over the Bonnies in the teams’ four game history. 

This isn’t the first time this season that Richmond has trounced a team. Mercyhurst University suffered the worst fate against the No. 10 Spiders with a 23-3 loss, followed by Robert Morris University, which fell 17-2 just a few weeks prior. UR currently holds a 7-3 season record, only losing to ranked teams. 

A physical first quarter put the Spiders in a fragile lead over the Bonnies. Taking an early lead, Richmond netted two early goals but St. Bonaventure closed the gap to 2-1 less than a minute later. The teams swapped turnovers before a Bonnie carded a penalty for unnecessary roughness, giving the Spiders a man-up opportunity. 

Richmond had two shots but didn’t capitalize until junior attacker Leo Caine recorded a goal with five and a half minutes on the clock. After a squabble on the field, the Spiders picked up a penalty for holding, then picked up another two minutes later for an illegal body check. The Bonnies took advantage of the man-up opportunity, wrapping up the quarter with a goal. 

“I just thought it took us a little time to really get going,” Head Coach Dan Chemotti said postgame. “The transition game really helped us there.”

St. Bonaventure faced troubles for the rest of the game as the Spiders’ lead continued to grow. Richmond opened the second quarter with a 4-0 in just a little over three minutes, bringing the score to 7-2. During the run, the Bonnies recorded a penalty for cross-checking giving Richmond a further advantage with a man-up opportunity. 

Breaking the run, the Bonnies found the back of the cage with their first and last of the quarter. There was little time to celebrate, though, as Richmond continued to score, quadrupling the Bonnies' score 12-3 at the break. The Spiders vastly outscored St. Bonaventure 10-3 while also leading it in every category except draw controls. 

The game didn’t get better for the Bonnies in the second half as they couldn’t find the back of the cage for the entire third quarter. They were not entirely alone in the struggle as the Spiders didn’t tally a goal until there were only three minutes remaining on the clock. 

However, UR dug in and managed another 4-0 run to end the quarter, shutting out the Bonnies from recording even a single shot on goal.

The final frame started with the teams swapping points before Richmond continued its reign on the field. The Spiders netted six more goals in the quarter, while the Bonnies only recorded one. Richmond more than doubled the number of St. Bonaventure’s shots-on-goal, outshooting them 33 to 13. 

The Bonnies also struggled to have successful clears, failing 12 of their 22 attempts. However, the Spiders only failed in one. 

A large chunk of the roster saw playing time and 16 Spiders recorded goals. Sophomore attacker Lucas Littlejohn led with six points, three goals and three assists. While the offensive brought points to the board, the defensive gracefully protected Richmond’s lead. 

Of St. Bonaventure’s 25 turnovers, UR caused 17, a program record-tying performance. The Defense also held the Bonnies to very few goals. 

Before this game, junior midfielder Jack Pilling and junior defender Hunter Smith earned mid-season Second Team All American honors from Inside Lacrosse. 

“I mean, Jack Pilling is like having another defenseman on the field and Hunter Smith, he’s an animal. [...] It’s incredible to have two guys like that and just not having to worry much.”

The Spiders look to forward their successful campaign with a game against Hobart College on April 5. Not only is every win vital to conference standings, Richmond has a perfect 2-0 record against Hobart to uphold. 

“[We’re] trying to get better here, so every game you need a conference mentality,” Chemotti said. “Every conference team is capable of winning every weekend and losing every weekend.”

Contact sports writer Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu.