MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Merrill Charette's hat-trick helped lead the Rhodes men's lacrosse team past Piedmont College on Saturday, 14-9.
 
Rhodes improves its record to 6-2 while the Lions fall to 3-3 on the year.
 
Rhodes took advantage of a man-up opportunity to get on the board first with an Andrew Salamunovich to Alessandro Secino connection for the first goal to go up 1-0 at the 13:50 mark. Piedmont answered and then some, with four straight scores. Rhodes' Charette found the back of the net to end the first period and make the count 4-2.
 
It the second quarter, the Lynx went to work, as Jason leed scored two straight goals, knotting things up at 4-4. Cooper Robinson snuck a goal past the net minder, and gave the Lynx the 5-4 advantage. The Lynx kept the goals coming as Tyler Tisdale, Charette and Secino each netted a goal to end the half, and Rhodes would take a 8-6 lead into the half.
 
Rhodes and Piedmont went tick-for-tack in the third period, with the Lynx grabbing the slight edge. Charette added his third goal, for his fourth hat-trick this season to open the half. Matt Vavrek netted an unassisted score, followed by a goal from Salamunovich, to take a 11-8 lead into the final period.
 
Rhodes closed the door in the fourth quarter, with Kevin Vieira and MG Jadick netting goals, to make the Rhodes advantage 13-8. Salamunovich put the finishing touch on the contest, with a Tisdale pass turned goal to make the final count 14-9.
 
Rhodes' Braxton Carr saw all 60 minutes as the Lynx net minder, grabbing 10 saves while in the net and earning the win. Rhodes picked up the ground ball advantage, by a count of 28-16, while they also outshot their opponents by a margin of 44-33.
 
The Lynx will return to the field on March 14 as they host the College of Wooster at 7 p.m.