COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Ursinus College's prolific attack tandem was all but unstoppable in Saturday's home date with Mary Washington as Bobby McClure and Hakan Atillasoy racked up nine points each to power the No. 12 Bears to a 15-10 non-conference triumph.
McClure paired three goals with a career-high six assists, the last of which made him the all-time program leader in points, while Atillasoy produced a mirror image with six goals and three assists. The pair was responsible for all but the first two goals for Ursinus (2-0); Atillasoy assisted on two of McClure's three tallies, while McClure set up half of Atillasoy's markers.
The Eagles (2-2) jumped out to a lightning-fast lead on a goal by Nick Clingan nine seconds after opening faceoff, but Ursinus readied an immediate response as Alex Dean scored on a feed from Evan Scott and Aaron Grill drove down the alley for one of his own.
Then the McClure-Atillasoy connection put its stamp all over the affair, McClure going cross-crease for Atillasoy to fire a low-to-high laser to the top shelf. After a Mary Washington answer, McClure sent a skip pass from X to Scott, who sent a bouncer into the back of the net from distance. Six seconds later, McClure scored from the left wing after Aiden Baltz' faceoff win and quick dish to put the Bears in front, 5-2, just before the end of the opening quarter.
McClure scripted his latest highlight-reel about six minutes into the second, when he spun away from a defender and dished to Atillasoy for a near-side rocket. Atillasoy returned the favor three minutes later, driving for an easy dump-off pass to McClure at the left post. Nineteen seconds after that, Tre Tillman scored on a long-range shot to cap a run of five unanswered goals.
The Eagles got back into it with three straight goals in the final 2:02 of the quarter, closing to within 8-5 at intermission.
Mary Washington was first on the board in the third quarter, but Atillasoy faked high for a low shot and a goal and then fired in a shot from the top after McClure fed him from X to restore a four-goal spread.
Joe Mercurio got in on the action at the midway point of the frame, scoring on the man-up from a McClure assist to make it 11-6 before the Eagles pulled back a pair of goals in the final 81 seconds.
McClure passed assistant coach Peter DeSimone '19 for the all-time program lead on an extra-man assist to Grill, who finalized the senior's 185th career point with his second goal of the afternoon.
Atillasoy helped ice the game just past the halfway point of the fourth quarter, going around the post for a lefty shot and a goal and then feeding McClure for the senior's first hat trick of the year.
McClure, who handed out five assists in a season-opening win against Stevenson, did himself one better and moved into fourth in school history with 66 for his career. He needs two goals to pass DeSimone for the team record.
Atillasoy moved up to eight on the all-time goals list (81) and vaulted into a tie for 10th in program history with his 115th career point.
Nolan Sachs was a menace on the defensive end, forcing three turnovers – two of them on Mary Washington man-up opportunities – and grabbing four ground balls. Tillman and Parker Wolf each had a pair of caused turnovers, as did Dean.
The Bears' ride was highly effective once again, forcing 11 turnovers on 24 clearing attempts for the Eagles. Shots were nearly even (40-36, Ursinus) and Mary Washington owned a 19-10 advantage on faceoffs, but the Eagles were undone by 27 turnovers. Ursinus' man-down defense performed well, limiting Mary Washington to three goals on nine extra-man chances.
Chris Porzelt was strong between the pipes again, finishing with 13 saves.
The Bears hit the road for the first time next Wednesday, when they travel to Eastern for a non-conference contest.