BANNER ELK, N.C. | Connor Leies led Young Harris College with five goals as Young Harris College held off Lees-McRae College 16-15 in a non-conference men's lacrosse match Saturday (April 2) afternoon at Tate Field.
 
The Mountain Lions improved to 8-4 while the Bobcats slipped to 2-8. Young Harris returns to the YHC Soccer and Lacrosse Field for the final time in the 2016 campaign Wednesday (April 6) at 5 p.m. when they host Emmanuel (Ga.) College.
 
Young Harris got off to a slow start, trailing 4-2 after the first quarter, but the Mountain Lions took control of the match by scoring six of the eight goals in the second quarter to take an 8-6 lead at the half.
 
The Mountain Lions opened up a four-goal advantage at 12-8 when Chandler Bradley scored with 5:07 remaining in the third quarter. Young Harris held that four-goal cushion for the remainder of the match until Lees-McRae scored three unanswered goals in the final three minutes to pull within a goal.
 
Matt Spadafora scored four goals for YHC while Jayden Campbell added three strikes. Bradley, Michael Gernatt, Matty Ledon and Mitch McDole also tallied a goal. Garrett Blake, Leies and Spadafora added two assists apiece while Bradley, Campbell, Gernatt, Ian Hurley and Ledon had one each.
 
Zach Stephenson won 15 face-offs for the Mountain Lions while Zac Barrett had 10 wins. Kyle Beverly, Barrett and Stephenson had four ground ball each for Young Harris while E.J. de la Torre, Campbell, Darrien Mask, Gernatt and Julian Infanti each scooped up three.
 
Sean Dever (four), Ryan Pickowitz (three) and Mason King (two) combined to record nine saves in the YHC goal.