North Cross ran up a 7-2 halftime lead and shut down Roanoke Catholic the rest of the game to capture the independent school lacrosse rivalry 12-2 Monday afternoon on Thomas Field at North Cross.
The Raiders struck quickly with a fierce offensive attack and led 5-0 after the first twelve minutes of play. The Celtics, on the shoulders of attacker Mark Allman, kept the deficit in check finding the net twice in the second quarter.
But, North Cross dominated in the final half with a strong defensive presence as well as superb goalkeeping by Raider netminder Paul McNeil. McNeil recorded 12 saves for the contest. North Cross added five scores in the second half to pull away for the victory.
The Raiders ran the field with ease and kept pressure on the Celtic goal all afternoon. Many of the North Cross shots came from point-blank range. North Cross was led by Quint Coles, who had four goals and an assist. Senior Will Stephenson added three goals for the Raiders.
With the win, North Cross improved to 8-2 on the season. Next up for the Raiders is a key matchup against a powerful Virginia Episcopal team set for 4:30 Thursday, April 22nd at North Cross.