Jeff Knapp Scores School Record Eight Goals in Lacrosse Win

Scots beat Cornell 13-5 Thursday night

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/02/2021) — Jeff Knapp (Nolensville, Tennessee) broke the Monmouth College men's lacrosse single-game record with eight goals as the Fighting Scots (3-0) beat the Cornell Rams (1-4) 13-4 at April Zorn Stadium on Thursday night. Knapp scored four times in each half and broke the record with 11:51 to play as he put the hosts on top 13-4.

Knapp scored six goals last Friday at Earlham, his second career game with six goals prior to Thursday's contest. The previous record of seven was set on February 29 2020 by Thomas Van Alstine against Wabash. The Scots scored a team-record 18 goals in that contest and Knapp also had six.

"We had a lot of fun tonight and had a couple more plays this week," said Knapp. "We were able to run our stuff tonight and I got some balls into the back of the net."

Thursday's game started with a Monmouth goal from Kain Donohoo (St. Charles, Illinois) just 32 seconds into the game, tied for the fourth-fastest goal in school history. Cornell tied the game at the 13:13 mark before Jack Koenn (Dexter, Michigan) put the Scots on top for good with his first goal of the season.

Knapp scored his first goal with 8:38 to play in the first quarter and made it 4-1 just 24 seconds later with his second. Cornell got one back with 53 seconds to play in the first but Knapp completed his hat trick with 13 seconds left. The Scots led 5-2 after the first quarter and took a 6-2 lead into halftime when Knapp scored the only goal of the second quarter with 13:54 left.

Knapp scored the first goal of the second half as well just 2:15 into the period for a 7-2 lead. That opened the floodgates as Gordon Kiesgen (Spring Grove, Illinois) and Donohoo scored 54 seconds apart for a 9-2 lead before Knapp added his sixth of the game just a minute later.

The Scots led 10-4 when Knapp tied Van Alstine's record with 34 seconds left in the third quarter. Kiesgen won the ensuing faceoff and scored four seconds later for a 12-4 Monmouth lead. Knapp broke the record with the Scots only goal of the fourth quarter, at the 11:51 mark. Cornell added a late goal for the final 13-5 score.

"I knew what the record was," said Knapp. "Coming off six last week I wanted a few more and now I want to break it again. He (Van Alstine) is gonna get a text tonight and I'll tell him all about it."

Monmouth Moments: Knapp has 14 goals in two games this season...With 67 career goals he is just two behind Van Alstine's career record at Monmouth...He has 75 career points, third on the list behind Chase Cranford (78) and Van Alstine (87)...Knapp has three of the Scots four games of at least six goals in school history, two coming in the last six days...Donohoo scored twice and has three multi-goal games on the season with nine total goals...Koenn has eight career goals...Mitch Perez (Glen Ellyn, Illinois) set a school record with 18 ground balls...He also had three assists one game after tying the school record with five...He has 29 career assists, four behind Cranford's school record...Perez has 51 points becoming the fifth player in Monmouth history with at least 50...Kisegen won 13-of-18 faceoffs....James Nowicki (Westchester, Illinois) led the Scots with four caused turnovers...The Scots killed six man-down situations...Monmouth is next in action on Saturday, April 10 at 4:30 p.m. at home against Northwestern Minnesota.