GRANTHAM, Pa. -- The Grove City College men's lacrosse team jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first quarter Friday night on the way to a 14-6 victory at non-conference foe Messiah.

Senior midfielder Jed Speers (Medina, Ohio/Medina) helped pace Grove City with three goals and an assist while senior midfielder Brett Gladstone (Marriottsville, Md./Marriotts Ridge) and freshman attack Matt Blythe (Mendon, N.Y./Honeoye Falls-Lima) also scored three times for the Wolverines.

Grove City trailed 2-1 seven minutes into the game before surging ahead with five goals over the final 8:05 of the period. Speers tied the game at 2-2, then assisted a goal by senior Michael La Forte (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) that gave Grove City a 3-2 lead. 

Blythe, Gladstone and sophomore attack Trenton Steele (Littleton, Colo./Highlands Ranch) all added goals in the quarter. The lead grew to 7-2 with 5:20 left in the first half as sophomore midfielder Griffen Agawa (San Ramon, Calif./California) scored off a La Forte assist. 

Blythe and Gladstone each scored early in the third quarter to cap Grove City's eight-goal run. In the fourth quarter, junior attack James Petrolle (Damascus, Md./Damascus) and Speers both scored twice to help sew up the win.

La Forte finished with two assists while Agawa, Petrolle and senior Grant Evans (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper Saint Clair) also tallied assists. 

Evans won 13 of 14 faceoffs and recorded a team-high six ground balls. Gladstone, senior goalie R.J. Miller (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East), freshman midfielder Alec Jones (Chesterfield, N.J./Notre Dame) and freshman midfielder Trey Zabroski (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) all picked up three ground balls.

Blythe caused three turnovers while Gladstone and freshman long stick midfielder Tyler Curry (Huntington Beach, Calif./Mater Dei) both caused a pair of turnovers.

Each team had 28 turnovers. Grove City held a 39-31 edge in shots. 

Miller made nine saves in 59 minutes of action, earning the win. Sophomore Danny Stone (Chantilly, Va./Flint Hill) played one minute and made one save. 

Friday's game had been scheduled for 12 p.m. Saturday but the teams moved the game up to Friday night due to the impending winter storm. Grove City returns to action next Friday, March 18 when the Wolverines host Marymount at 6 p.m.