(Box Score) 

            DANBURY, Conn. - Junior Tim Hadley (New London, N.H./Kearsarge) scored four goals and Plymouth State University overcame a 4-1 first-quarter deficit Saturday afternoon to defeat Western Connecticut State University, 13-10, in the Little East Conference men's lacrosse opener for both schools at the Westside Athletic Complex.

            The win is the first of the season for Plymouth State (1-3, 1-0 LEC) and the first for Panther first-year head coach Gordon Webb.  WestConn (1-5, 0-1 LEC) suffered its fifth straight setback.

            PSU out-shot the home team by a 65-26 count, but freshman goalie Tyler Martone (Cheshire, Conn.) made 26 saves for WestConn to keep the game close.

            Sophomore Andrew Eriksen (Beverly, Mass.) also scored three goals for PSU and shared team-high honors with seven ground balls, and juniors Brian Giroux (Wolfeboro Falls, N.H.) and Logan Irish (Somers, Conn.) added two goals apiece.  Junior Matt Johansmeyer (Shelburne Falls, Mass.) chipped in with a goal and two assists, and classmate Steve Engel (South Windsor, Conn.) scored one goal and matched Eriksen with seven ground balls.

            Freshman Sean Macey (New Fairfield, Conn.) led the hosts with three goals and one assist, and senior George Tsirigotis (Islip Terrace, N.Y.) added two goals and an assist.  Five other Colonials scored one goal each.

            PSU had an 18-7 shot advantage in the first quarter but WestConn had a 4-1 lead on goals by four different players.  The Panthers countered with four of the five goals in the second quarter, tying it at 5-5 with six minutes on the clock, and it remained that way through halftime.

            Johansmeyer, Irish and Hadley scored the first three goals of the second half to give PSU the advantage.  The teams traded goals to make it a 9-6 Panther lead after three frames.  Macey and Tsirigotis pulled WestConn to within one, 9-8, early in the fourth quarter, but Hadley tallied back-to-back markers to give the Panthers their three-goal lead back, 11-8, with 10 minutes remaining.

            The Colonials battled back again, cutting the lead to 11-10 with just under six minutes to play, but Irish and Engel added insurance goals and PSU held on for the win.

            The Panthers are back in action Tuesday evening (7:00 p.m.) with a non-conference game at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.  WestConn plays a non-conference game Monday at Nichols College (7:00 p.m.) 

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