MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University men's lacrosse team built a three-goal halftime lead, then outscored Moravian University 8-3 in the second half to earn a convincing 15-7 Landmark Conference victory Wednesday evening in a cold and windy Ranger Stadium.
 
With the win, the Rangers (8-6, 4-3 LC) climbed into a three-way tie with Catholic and Moravian for fourth place in the Landmark Conference standings with two regular-season games remaining. The top-six teams in the conference standings qualifying for the Landmark Conference Championship tournament.
 
Junior Riley Zeer posted five goals and one point for the Rangers while senior Mike DeMayo recorded four goals and four assists. Sophomore Jake Rainero went 21-for-25 on faceoffs and picked up 13 ground balls while also contributing one goal and one assist. Sophomore Joe Barnish made 12 saves.
 
Nick Coffaro posted three goals and one assist for the Greyhounds (8-5, 4-3 LC) while Liam Kelly stopped 14 shots.
 
The Rangers never trailed after scoring the game's first two goals. Rainero struck just 12 seconds into the game before Zeer scored his first goal with 11:43 showing to make it 2-0. Graduate student Matt Giordano made it 3-1 with 6:00 left before Zeer struck again to make it 4-2 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Moravian netted the first two goals of the second quarter to pull even, but that's when the Rangers took command of the game with a 6-0 run spanning the middle two periods. Junior Colin Diodato got the ball rolling with a man-up goal at the 6:43 mark before DeMayo and Zeer scored once apiece to make it a 7-4 game at the break.
 
Graduate student Tommy Larmore and younger brother Joey Larmore struck for back-to-back tallies to open the second half before DeMayo struck with 8:46 showing in the third quarter to hand the Rangers a 10-4 advantage.
 
Moravian stopped the bleeding with a goal with 1:19 to go, but the Rangers needed just 14 seconds to strike back, as Rainero won the ensuing faceoff and dished it off to DeMayo, who tossed in his third goal of the day to make it 11-5.
 
Zeer cashed in on another EMO with seven seconds left in the quarter as Drew's lead ballooned to seven heading into the final stanza.
 
The Rangers tacked on three insurance tallies in the final quarter, starting with a goal from Tommy Larmore with 8:42 left. DeMayo then scored a man-down goal for the second straight game ot make it 14-6. Zeer then set the final score with 3:47 left.
 
The Rangers continue Landmark Conference action on Saturday, when they visit Goucher University at 1 p.m.