OTTAWA – Rookie
Zach Bye scored a spectacular six goals leading McGill to a wild 11-8 victory over Carleton on Sunday in the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association.
It marked the 14th time that a McGill player tallied at least six goals, which was two shy of the school record set in a playoff game (see details below).
McGill jumped into a 3-0 advantage after the first quarter and took a 9-1 lead into halftime, then made wholesale lineup changes that allowed the Ravens to get back in the contest. Carleton won the third quarter 4-0 and took the final frame 3-2..
Bye, a 20-year-old Arts freshman from Greenwich, Conn., scored his first goal late in the first quarter to put McGill ahead 2-0. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound attackman added a hat-trick in the second quarter and two more in the final stanza.
"He's been dominant the past few games but had been missing the net a lot," said McGill head coach
Nicolas Soubry about his sniper who now has nine goals in three games. "Today was one of those days where he kept it simple, took better shots and was able to convert them. In terms of recruiting, he was a big get for us this season."
Bye previously played at The Hill Academy in Caledon, Ont., where he completed a semester of grad school after playing at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and was also on the USA under-18 team.
Other Redbirds marksmen were
John Miraglia (2),
Jack Bamford (2) and
Mark Symon.
Four different Ravens struck for two goals apiece:
Cam York,
Jacob Kiazyk,
Michael Murawsky and
Cole Byrne.
Final shots on net were not available. McGill goaltender
Joe Walsh was credited with the win; he played the first 35 minutes and then again in the final quarter, allowing four goals. He was initially replaced with 10 minutes to go in the third quarter by
Henry Komosa, who conceded four goals before Walsh went back in.
For Carleton,
Thomas Kiazuk went the distance and allowed 11 goals. The Ravens took 14 of the 22 penalties called. Carleton (1-2) plays next at Queen's (2-2) on Sept. 20.
McGill, which improved to 3-0, sits two points behind the division-leading Trent University Excalibur (4-0) in the six-team CUFLA East standings. The Redbirds will host the Peterborough-based squad in a first-place showdown at Percival Molson Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, in a 2 p.m. start. This event also serves as the Redbirds Lacrosse Homecoming Game. The Excalibur's lineup features McGill grad
Dylan James, who was voted CUFLA player of the year last season with the Redbirds. He is enrolled in grad studies at Trent and is currently the league's leading scorer.
REDBIRDS RAP: The McGill single-game goal-scoring record is held by
Cameron McGinnis, who tallied eight times in a 14-8 playoff victory at Queen's on Oct. 28, 2022. The second-highest scoring output was also in the post-season, a seven-goal performance by
Anders Bjella in a 15-11 victory over Western during the Baggataway Cup gold medal game in Lennoxville, Que., on Nov. 8, 2015… Other McGill players to score six goals in a game include
Patrick Aber, another rookie, who potted six in a 14-9 home-field regular-season conquest over Nipissing in what was Coach Soubry's first official win on Sept. 17, 2022… Rounding out the list of McGill's six-goal scorers:
Rowen Burrell (in 9-8 quarter-final win over Guelph at the CUFLA quarter-finals on Nov. 3, 2023),
Spencer Bromley (TWICE: in 20-4 road win at Queen's, Oct. 22/16 and in a 15-8 home win over Ottawa, Oct. 16/16),
Goose Bolton (16-4 home win over Carleton, Oct. 15/16),
Conner Goodwin (14-5 win over Ottawa, Oct. 3/15),
Anders Bjella (14-4 road win at Carleton, Sept. 7/14),
Tayler Sipperly (15-4 road win at Ottawa, Sept. 6/14),
Alex Rohrbach (19-7 home win over Trent, Sept. 21/13).
Kevin Donovan (16-4 home win over Carleton, Sept. 14/13) and
Noah Miller (24-3 preseason win at Concordia, Aug. 28/10).
SCORING SUMMARY
CUFLA STATS & STANDINGS
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL:
514-983-7012
E-MAIL:
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
