MEN: No. 2 Chapman Routs San Diego in Season Opener, 15-2

It took six seconds for the Chapman men’s lacrosse team to take the lead in Saturday night’s season opener, and it was just a harbinger of things to come.

Senior middie Chris Small got the goal parade started when he won the opening face-off clean, rolled straight to the cage and fired home the game’s opening goal. By the time it was over, No. 2 Chapman routed San Diego 15-2 in an MCLA Division I game in Orange County.

Sophomore attackman Madison Fiore, playing his first game since transferring from NCAA Division I Maryland, registered a game-high seven points on six goals and one assist to lead the Panthers (1-0) to their season-opening win.

Senior attackman Connor Martin added six points on three goals and three assists, senior middie Blake Whitcomb had four points on three goals and one assist and Small finished with three points on a goal and two assists. Small also won 7-of-9 face-offs.

Junior middies Will Morrison and Drew Nordstrom each scored once to round out the offense for Chapman.

San Diego (0-1) lost in its season opener.

Chapman led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter, 9-0 at halftime and 13-0 going into the fourth quarter before San Diego finally got on the board in the fourth.

And Chapman did it all without sophomore attackman Andrew Clayton, who was knocked out of the game with a concussion when he was hit in the head by a ball prior to pre-game warm-ups.

“I thought our defense and our goalies played outstanding,” Chapman head coach Mike Wood said. “They had a couple real good possessions, and our goalies would make the save. When you go three quarters without giving up a goal, the defense is playing out of its mind.”