FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Jake Smerka scored six goals and added three assists at the Methodist men's lacrosse team beat Saint Vincent, 14-6, on Tuesday afternoon at Monarch Stadium.
 
Smerka's nine total points fell one point shy of tying the program's single-game record of 10, and moved his point total to a team-best 29 on the season. Chris Lombardi added four goals and one assist, and Ben Click scored twice with a pair of helpers.
 
The Monarchs (5-1) scored the first four goals of the contest to take a 4-0 lead after the first quarter. Lombardi opened the scoring at the 7:18 mark, and Smerka made it 2-0 just over two minutes later. Smerka struck for his second goal at the 2:41 mark, and Tyson Haith capped the first-quarter scoring with an unassisted goal 1:35 before the end of the first period.
 
In all, MU outshot Saint Vincent (0-3) 15-0 in the first quarter, won four of the first five faceoffs, and forced the Bearcats in nine turnovers in the first 15 minutes.
 
The Bearcats got goals from Ben Price and Frank Casile to halve their deficit by the 10:49 mark of the second period, but three straight tallies from MU, including goals from Smerka and Lombardi, pushed MU's lead back to 7-2 by halftime.
 
In the second half, Saint Vincent trailed by just four (8-4) with 4:29 left in the third, but two goals to end the quarter and two more to open the fourth gave MU a 12-4 lead with 12:07 on the clock.
 
In all, MU outshot Saint Vincent 44-20, and won 18 of 24 faceoffs. The Monarchs also had 46 ground balls to 29 for the Bearcats.
 
Clay Stevenson picked up his second consecutive win, making six saves with six goals allowed. Kevin Tregoning started and played the first 30 minutes in the cage for SVC. He allowed seven goals and made six saves. Brandon Martin played the final 30 minutes and made five saves with seven goals allowed.
 
Jordan DeSalvo led MU with eight ground balls, and Daniel Richards had seven ground balls with two caused turnovers. John Tartline caused three turnovers with three ground balls, and Lombardi and Kyle Peacock came up with five and four ground balls, respectively.
 
Casile and Hunter Sharp led the Bearcats with two goals apiece. Jeremy Kennedy finished with two assists. Michael Grus caused three turnovers and picked up four ground balls.
 
Methodist will now take on Alvernia on Thursday in Clearwater, Fla. The game is slated to begin at 1:00 pm.