QUINCY, Ill. – Quincy University men's lacrosse earned its first victory of the season on Wednesday afternoon, pulling away with a dominant second-half surge to defeat Northwest Nazarene 14-6 at QU Stadium.

The Hawks used a balanced offensive attack and a stifling defensive effort to turn a tight first half into a decisive win, outscoring the Nighthawks 9-2 after halftime.

Northwest Nazarene struck first at the 8:47 mark of the opening quarter, but Seve Cordero answered just 33 seconds later off a feed from Eli Cowan to even the score. NNU regained the lead midway through the first and carried a 2-1 advantage into the second quarter.

Quincy settled in during the second frame. Cordero netted his second goal of the day to tie the contest before Northwest Nazarene briefly moved ahead 3-2. The Hawks responded with three straight goals, including a man-up finish by Mason Luoma and a late unassisted strike from Jameson Essen, sending Quincy into halftime with a 5-3 lead.

The Hawks seized complete control in the third quarter, erupting for six goals in a four-minute span. Haakon Steen scored twice during the run, Essen added another, and Cowan capped the surge with an unassisted finish to push the lead to 10-3.

Northwest Nazarene briefly halted the momentum early in the fourth quarter, but Quincy answered immediately. Sophomore Trevor Usher scored his first collegiate goal to extend the lead to eight, igniting the home crowd. Luoma and Cooper Karedes added late goals as the Hawks closed out the 14-6 victory.

Quincy controlled the offensive pace, outshooting Northwest Nazarene 52-33 and placing 27 shots on goal. The Hawks were efficient in transition, clearing 28 of 30 attempts while forcing 23 Nighthawk turnovers.

Defensively, Quincy held the edge in saves with 14 and limited Northwest Nazarene to just two second-half goals. The Nighthawks narrowly led the ground ball battle 31-29, but the Hawks' possession efficiency and shot volume proved decisive.

Goalkeeper Austin Vetter anchored the defense with 14 saves while allowing six goals, tying his career best for fewest goals allowed for the third time

Quincy featured a balanced scoring attack led by Luoma, who finished with four goals and an assist. Steen added three goals, while Cordero recorded two goals and two assists, surpassing 50 career points in the process. Essen contributed two goals and an assist, and Cowan tallied one goal with three assists to pace the playmaking effort.

Usher recorded his first collegiate goal and point, while Karedes added a goal and an assist. Defensively, Ronan Cripe collected a career-high four ground balls to help stabilize possession.

Quincy will return to action next Saturday, March 7, when the Hawks welcome William Jewell to QU Stadium.