SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Ten different players scored at least one goal as the Union College men's lacrosse team clinched a home game in the first round of the Liberty League Tournament with a convincing 15-5 victory over Clarkson University on Senior Day at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the victory, Union (6-10, 4-3 Liberty League) finished alone in fourth place in the conference standings, and as a result will host fifth-seeded Skidmore College in a first-round matchup on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Schenectady.
 
Senior Emmett Lyne and first-year Garrett Salit were two of Union's five multi-goal scorers on the day, and both players added two assists for a game-high four points apiece. Junior Mekhi Taylor chipped in two goals and an assist while senior Walker Popko and first-year Luke Allen netted two goals each. Popko's two goals moved him into a tie for eighth on the school's single-season scoring list with 44 tallies, while Salit's four points gave him 52 on the year, matching Nate Fitch '93 HOF '13 for the school record by a first-year.
 
At the other end, junior Nick Lynch and senior Gavin Trahan combined for 17 saves, with Lynch stopping 13 over the first 50:03 and Trahan stopping all four shots he faced in the final 9:57. In front of them, senior John Sula picked up seven ground balls while sophomore Luke Foster had three grounders and a team-best three caused turnovers.
 
Senior Luke Tranter also went 12 for 21 on faceoffs on Saturday, and with his first win of the day became the third Union player to record 200 faceoff wins in a single season.
 
Union came out strong on Saturday, outscoring Clarkson (8-6, 2-5 Liberty League) by an 8-1 margin in the opening half to quickly establish control. Lynch made three saves over the first nine-plus minutes to keep the game scoreless before Taylor got the game's first goal with 5:11 left. The home team added two more from Salit and Allen to take a 3-0 lead after 15 minutes.
 
After the teams traded goals to start the second stanza, the Garnet Chargers rattled off four in a row to take a seven-goal edge in the break. Salit regained the four-goal lead with 8:04 left in the quarter, followed by a Popko tally from Salit with 3:40 on the clock. Two goals in the final 1:17 completed the dominant half, as first-year Drew Laubenstein scored with 1:17 to go before Lyne scored with seven seconds remaining.
 
Goals by sophomore Brendan Powers and junior Jack Lucey 17 seconds apart early in the third quarter built the lead up to nine goals, as the home team took a comfortable 11-4 advantage into the fourth. Union netted the final three goals of the game to reach the 10-goal margin, with a Popko goal followed by tallies from junior Joe Hennessey and first-year Evan Finkle. 
 
Clarkson ended the afternoon with a slight 39-38 edge in shots, but Union's commanding first half was enough to keep the home team ahead. Lynch and Trahan's 17 saves are second-most in a game for Union this season, while the five goals allowed are tied for the fewest conceded in a game this year as well.
 
Check back on UnionAthletics.com early next week for more information about Tuesday's postseason opener, including a full tournament preview.