Lebanon Valley 9, Delaware Valley 6
 
LVC Starters
Keefer, Warmingham, Bushong, Beaver, Weaver, Wagner, Campbell, Epple, Hoff, Filbert
 
DVU Starters
Rafferty, Felton, Wilson, Laurence, Coyle, Smith, Yingling, Waibel, Sullivan, Hardy
 
How It Happened
Lebanon Valley opened its 2018 campaign with a 9-6 victory over Delaware Valley at Arnold Field on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 24.
 
Kevin Beaver put on a show in the season opener, tallying six total points on a career-high five goals and one assist. He was the lone LVC player to record multiple points on the day.
 
Beaver opened the scoring for the Flying Dutchmen (1-0) when he sniped an attempt past DVU goalkeeper Gavin Yingling at the 11:01 mark of the first quarter. Beaver netted his second of the game with 6:09 left in the period off a nice find from Max Warmingham.
 
The Aggies cut the deficit in half when Chris Coyle converted the visitors' first goal of the season less than a minute later but LVC responded with back-to-back goals to finish the quarter, with the first coming from Adam Filbert off a Trevor Holak assist at the 2:26 mark and the next coming from Evan Crawford with just nine ticks left in the first.
 
Delaware Valley made a push in the second quarter, scoring three goals in a row to draw even at 4-4 with 4:34 left before halftime but Beaver completed the hat trick before the break with his third marker of the day with 2:52 left in the period. The visitors added one more goal late to tie it up at heading into the break.
 
After a slow start to the third, the Dutchmen offense got going again when Alex Bushong netted his first score of the year at the 9:20 mark. After missing all of last season due to injury, Koty Keefer picked up his first point of the spring with the assist. Then it was Josh Croyle doubling the advantage with a score late in the period, this time off a Beaver feed. Then it was back to Beaver for his fourth goal of the day to make it 8-5 heading into the final quarter.
 
After 10-plus scoreless minutes, Coyle cut the deficit to two with a goal at the 4:41 mark of the fourth but Beaver's fifth of the day put an exclamation point on the victory with 1:33 left to play.
 
Inside the Numbers
- Delaware Valley outshot the Dutchmen 33-29 and 24-16 in shots on goal.
- The Aggies were 15-17 on clear attempts, while LVC managed a 15-17 clip on clears.
- Lebanon Valley scooped up 37 ground balls compared to 35 for DVU.
- The visitors won the faceoff battle 13-6.
- Kevin Beaver was the star on opening day, finishing with five goals on six shots to go along with an assist.
- For Evan Crawford and Josh Croyle, their scores were the first of their collegiate careers.
- Alex Bushong and Adam Filbert picked up their first points of the years with goals.
- Cam Epple was excellent in between the pipes for LVC, making 18 saves on the day.
- DVU goalkeeper Gavin Yingling made seven stops in total.
- Chris Coyle finished with a hat trick for the Aggies.
 
Who's Next?
The Dutchmen travel to Frostburg State on Wednesday night.

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