Box Score ALMA, Mich. – Tim Urso made sure Albion College wouldn't share the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's lacrosse championship with anyone.
The senior co-captain produced a career-high eight goals to power the Britons to a 20-6 victory over Alma College at Bahlke Field Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, Albion (10-5 overall) completed an undefeated run through its MIAA rivals and secured the top-seed and home field advantage for the MIAA Tournament. Albion will host the No. 4 seed Wednesday in a semifinal contest.
"I think it is clear that Tim is the top attackman in our conference," Albion Head Coach Jake DeCola said. "It is hard to stop Tim when he is going like that.
"We dominated ground balls and were great in our ride, making it difficult for Alma to clear (the ball from its defensive end)," DeCola added. "We forced Alma to switch from man-to-man to zone defense and did a good job of probing the zone."
Urso, Cameron Braun, and Brandon Lebioda scored in a four-minute window as Albion built a 4-1 lead midway through the first quarter. Urso tacked on a pair of unassisted goals a minute apart as the Britons led 6-2 after 15 minutes.
Braun and Zach Hubbell scored a pair of goals and Joel Hedemark contributed a goal and an assist as Albion outscored Alma, 7-1, in the second quarter to hold a 13-3 lead at halftime.
Marshall Argenta and Tanner Diment scored for Alma in the first 34 seconds of the third quarter, but the 13-5 deficit would be as close as the Scots would get.
Urso scored four times in 7 ½ minutes and Albion was in control, 17-5, with 3:28 left in the third. Harrison Palmer tacked on his second goal of the day, and Albion held an 18-5 lead after three quarters.
Joe Braley and Dominic Hamper completed Albion's scoring in the fourth quarter.
Braun finished the afternoon with four points on three goals and an assist. Hubbell (two goals, assist) and Hedemark (goal, two assists) added three points apiece.
Nearly lost in the all the goals piled up was the work of Nicholas DiMaggio and Kyle DeCamp against the fifth-ranked Division III team in faceoff winning percentage. The Britons won 24 of 29 faceoffs (DeCamp was 12 of 13, DiMaggio was 12 of 16).
Albion goalkeeper Kyle Formanczyk stopped 10 of the 16 shots he faced.