PHILADELPHIA – The Holy Family University men's lacrosse team opened its 2025 campaign with a 16-9 victory at Davis & Elkins on Saturday afternoon. 
 
The Tigers trailed 0-2 and then 2-3 in the first quarter before scoring the first four goal of the second to take control. 
 
Jayden Williams (Mays Landing, N.J./Atlantic County Institute of Technology), Xander Kelly (Shohola, Pa./Delaware Valley) and Nick Gargan (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) all netted the first goals of their career in that stretch, which ended with Jhay Dameus (Willingboro, N.J./Holy Cross Preparatory Academy) putting HFU on top 6-3 with 8:18 left in the half. 

Davis & Elkins got as close as two twice, including at 8-6 entering the locker room, but HFU came out of the break with the first three scores of the third to pull away. 
 
After the first career collegiate goal from Noah Simpson (Oshawa, Ontario/Henry Street), James Bienia (East Moriches, N.Y./Westhampton Beach) completed his hat trick before Kelly converted a power play for an 11-6 advantage with just 4:31 to play in the period. 
 
Individual Highlights

• Bienia would score again in the fourth as he led all players with a career-best four goals and five points
• Bradley Smith (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) led all players with three ground balls and two caused turnovers in his collegiate debut
• Fellow freshman James Demakopoulos (Carle Place, N.Y./Carle Place) picked up the win as he made nine saves in goal
• Simpson had four points on two goals, while Jake Feeney (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern) recorded a hat trick in his collegiate debut
• Gargan, Kelly and Dameus each found the net twice
• Freshmen Jaelin Benson (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern) and Marquan Gayle (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) matched Smith with a game-high three ground balls
• Gavin Reid (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Pleasant) and Logan O'Keefe (Levittown, Pa./Conwell-Egan Catholic) registered assists in their collegiate debuts
• Also making their collegiate debuts on the day were Cole Galvao (Mount Laurel, N.J./Lenape), Andrew Kayes (Margate City, N.J./Holy Spirit), Jimmy Donnelly (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West), Seamus Hart (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge), John Henson (Chalfont, Pa./Central Bucks South) and Jackson Brown (Cape May, N.J./Lower Cape May) 

 
Inside the Box Score

• In the first game of its second season, HFU set a new program record by outshooting D&E 56-33

 
Up Next
The Tigers take a week off before hosting Wheeling next Saturday at 12 p.m.