JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville University men's lacrosse team (3-3) showed a lot of fight on Sunday afternoon opposite No. 1 Duke (8-0) but in the end was forced to settle for a 17-6 defeat.
 
The Dolphins did most of their damage in the fourth quarter, but it proved to be too little, too late. Jason Yoquinto in the crease was the story for JU. He saved 16 Blue Devil shots, a season and career high, highlighted by eight in the third quarter as he tried to keep his team alive in this one. Five different Jacksonville players contributed scores for the Dolphins, including Curtis Goddard, who canned a pair. Sam Chase, Tucker Garrity, Matt Stagnitta and Jeremy Winston added the rest. Tom Heed, Nathan Kapp and Jack Dolan (2) handed out assists.
 
A capacity crowd, capped at 950, filed into the D.B. Milne Field grandstand and surrounding standing room areas to take in the action. Brennan O'Neill scored each of the first three goals for Duke, but they were spread over the first nine minutes. Jacksonville canned its first score with 5:32 left in the first but Duke closed with two more to make it 5-1 after one.
 
Duke was relentless in the second, capitalizing on some JU missteps to collect six more goals and take an 11-2 lead into halftime. Jacksonville surrendered 11 goals between scores but Goddard collected both of his goals consecutively to pull JU within 12, 16-4. By the end of this one, the Dolphins would score four of the last five goals.
 
Next up for Jacksonville will be the beginning of SoCon play with a rematch opposite Mercer on Sunday, March 21. That game will take place in Macon, Georgia, at 2 p.m. The next home contest will take place on Saturday, March 27, opposite VMI at 12 p.m.