ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of Northwestern men's lacrosse team (3-4) hosted North Central University (0-7) in a Thursday evening contest at Reynolds Field. With four Eagles founding the back of the net, UNW was able to secure a 19-8 victory over the visiting Rams.

Northwestern was first to get on the scoreboard, with a goal from sophomore Noah Vander Kooi (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) to take the early 1-0 lead. The rest of the first quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with the Rams holding a 3-2 lead after the first period.

The Eagles took off in the second quarter, scoring seven unanswered goals before the Rams picked up a goal with under a minute to go. UNW went into intermission with a sturdy 10-4 lead.

Things picked up right where they left off for Northwestern after the break, with the Eagles netting six goals to North Central's one in the third period to extend their lead. In the fourth quarter, both teams scored three goals with UNW securing the evening victory, 19-8.

Sophomore Keller Stephens (Lino Lakes, Minn./Mounds View) had a career night, scoring eight goals along with six assists. Vander Kooi closed out the eveing on a strong note as he finished with six goals and three assists, while freshman Chase Marlenee (Northfield, Minn./Northfield) added four goals, three assists and 11 ground balls. Senior Allen Hubert (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) also notched a goal in the contest, respectively.

As a team, UNW had a single-game record of 52 shots (34 SOG), 41 ground balls, and went 10-12 on clears.

The purple and gold will close out their eight-game home stand on Friday, April 6, when the host Northland College. The match is set to get underway at 3 p.m. on Reynolds Field. For more information, fans should visit www.unweagles.com.