HUNTSVILLE | The University of Alabama in Huntsville men's lacrosse team started the 2020 campaign off with a conference win, defeating visiting Lander 13-7 at Charger Park on Saturday afternoon. The Chargers start at 1-0 (1-0 GLVC), while the Bearcats begin the year at 0-1 (0-1 GLVC).
 
Turning Point
-After Lander tied the game at 3-3 with 2:27 left in the first quarter, UAH scored the next three as part of a second quarter in which it outscored the Bearcats 5-1 to take firm control of the contest.
 
Inside the Box Score
-Luke LeVette started his senior season off in fine fashion, scoring four times and adding a pair of assists to lead the Chargers with six points as he fired off 11 shots including seven that were on target while also picking up three ground balls.
-Making his return after missing last season, Kevin Coppinger potted three goals, and his three-point showing was matched by Reid Vender who scored twice and had an assist along with Joseph Stuber who tallied one goal and a pair of assists.
-Emory Weaver, Brody Phillips, and Cameron Crawford all added a goal each.
-Logging two assists was Adam Zois, and both Jacob Glen and Trevor Redmond had one assist in the contest.
-Eric Parvin led the Chargers with four ground balls, while Josh Campbell had three to go along with a team-high three caused turnovers.
-Earning the win in the cage was Zak Welsh who made 14 stops.
-The Chargers outshot Lander by a 54-41 margin including a 31-21 advantage in shots on goal.
-Both teams were 19-for-24 in clears.
 
Inside the Flow
-UAH started the scoring when Vender tallied from Zois at the 11:54 mark of the opening quarter, and after Lander answered just over 30 seconds later, Coppinger's first of the game lifted the Chargers back up 2-1 with 10:21 on the clock.
-The teams continued to trade goals with a pair of Lander scores sandwiching LeVette's first of the day to create the 3-3 at the end of the first.
-Cameron Crawford opened the scoring in the second period, followed by a man-up goal from Weaver, and LeVette's second lifted the Chargers to a 6-3 lead before the guests registered their lone score of the quarter.
-LeVette and Coppinger then closed out the scoring in the quarter to give UAH an 8-4 advantage at the halftime break.
-The third quarter was a low-scoring stanza with LeVette getting his fourth with Stuber and Vender also adding tallies to put the Chargers ahead 12-6 going into the fourth.
-Phillips would score at the 11:42 mark of the fourth, but neither team was able to register a goal again until the Bearcats struck with 2:32 remaining in the contest.
-Coppinger then finished the game off with his third with just 1:44 left to create the 13-7 final.
 
Noteworthy
-LeVette now has 98 goals over his four years which is by far the most in the program's five years of existence, scoring 31 and 34 in his first two seasons and 29 last year.
-This is Coppinger's 20th multi-goal game, and he now owns 106 points for his career.
-Welsh earns his fourth career victory, and he matches his career-best with the 14 saves.
-This is UAH's first opening day victory since the first game of the inaugural season in 2016.
-UAH records the 54 shots after registering at least 50 in just three games last year.
 
Next Time Out
-UAH will step out of conference play next Saturday when it welcomes Lincoln Memorial to Charger Park for a 12 p.m. tilt.