GRANTHAM (Pa.) – The Delaware Valley University men's lacrosse team opened the 2021 campaign on the road at Messiah College and exploded for seven first half goals, and a six-point lead at halftime, en route to an 8-4 triumph.

Chris Dearden won the first faceoff of the game for DelVal and senior PJ Rafferty got a shot on goal that was saved. On Messiah's first clear attempt, the Aggies forced a turnover, Matt Waibel picked up the ground ball and fed Rafferty who beat the keeper for his first of the season 1:33 into the game.

Nearly four and a half minutes later, Waibel got on the board with his first of the year to make it 2-0.

A slashing penalty against DelVal's Brandon Keller gave the Falcons a man-up opportunity and Lucas Honebrink cashed in to get the home team on the board. Just 33 seconds later, Rafferty got his second of the game to put the Aggies back up by two, 3-1.

DelVal held Messiah to one shot over the final six minutes of the first quarter and extended its lead to three with a tally from Dylan Brasch, his first, late in the stanza.

The Aggies tacked on three more in the second quarter and outshot the Falcons, 14-3. Brasch got his second of the game with 2:34 left in the quarter when the crafty senior cut across the crease, collected a pass from Rafferty, and went behind the back to beat the keeper and make it 7-1 going into halftime.

Messiah got the first goal of the second half just 2:43 to get back to within five, 7-2, but DelVal wasted no time getting the six-point advantage back as Ben Napieralski found Brasch for his third of the game less than seven minutes later.

The Falcons got off 23 shot attempts in the second half but only nine were on goal and three found twine. Meanwhile, the Aggies had 13 shots, 10 on goal, but outlasted the home team en route to the 8-4 season-opening victory.

DelVal finished the game with 40 shots, 22 on goal, with 17 turnovers, 25-of-27 clears, and 6-of-9 faceoff wins. It went 0-for-2 on extra man opportunities and scooped 46 ground balls.

Rafferty, the programs all-time leading scorer, led all players with four points on two goals and two assists and Brasch finished with three tallies. Napieralski also picked up three points with two goals and a helper and Waibel rounded out the scoring with a goal and an assist.

First-year Jim Murphy earned his first career win in goal for the Green and Gold with 13 saves and Michael Florig grabbed a team-best seven ground balls. Bryce Regan finished with five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Dearden won 4-of-11 faceoffs and Fred Offenburger went 2-for-3.

Messiah got off just 30 shots as a team with 17 on net and was 19-for-23 on clears with 21 turnovers, 50 ground balls, and a 2-for-3 showing on extra man opportunities.