HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville men's lacrosse team dropped its season opener on Sunday, falling 12-6 to visiting Westminster at Charger Park. The Chargers start at 0-1, while WC improves to 2-0.
 
Turning Point
-The Griffins scored the game's first five goals to take control of the contest.
 
Inside the Box Score
-UAH was led offensively on the day by Nicholas Ranta who scored twice, while Zach Ranta scored and added an assist to match his brother with a two-point day.
-UAH's other goals came from Luke LeVette, Emory Weaver, and Brody Phillips.
-Joseph Stubber and Mason Russell added an assist each.
-LeVette fired off a team-high seven shots.
-Colton Nall led the Chargers with six groundballs on the day.
-For the contest, Westminster held a slim 30-29 advantage in shots including a 20-18 edge in shots that were on target.
-The Chargers were 13-for-19 in clears, while Westminster was successful on 16 of their 22 attempts.
-UAH totaled 15 groundballs in the game compared to 23 for the visitors.
-Jake Fowler won 10 faceoffs to help win 11 of 21 for the contest.
 
Inside the Flow
-Westminster scored four times in the first and again at the 11:46 mark of the second to go up 5-0 before Weaver got the Chargers on the board with 8:41 left in the quarter on a score assisted by Mason Russell to make it 5-1.
-LeVette answered a Griffin goal with an unassisted tally at the 6:36 mark, but the guests scored twice more after that to create an 8-2 score at the half.
-The Chargers struck first in the third, with Zach Ranta scoring with 4:15 on the clock and Nicholas Ranta adding one on a man-up situation off the assist by Stuber to make it 8-4, but the Griffins scored right as the clock expired to end the third and twice more to start the fourth to go up 11-4.
-Nicholas Ranta's second of the game came with 11:44 left in the contest, and Phillips created the 12-6 final when he scored in the game's waning moments.
 
Noteworthy
-LeVette now has 66 goals for his career as the junior is coming off back-to-back 30-plus goal seasons.
-The multi-goal performance is the fourth of Nicholas Ranta's career.
-The goal for Phillips and the assists for Stuber and Russell mark the first collegiate points for the trio of freshmen.
 
Next Time Out
-UAH returns to action next weekend, traveling to Saint Leo for an 11 a.m. CT contest on Saturday.