Panthers win season opener

            NEWTON, Mass. – Plymouth State University walked away with a 12-6 win over Lasell College in men's lacrosse play Saturday afternoon at Grellier Field.  The Panthers were paced by freshman Zach Frank who scored four goals, including the first of the season for the Panthers and the game-winning tally.

            The Plymouth offense built up a 3-0 lead through the first quarter, wasting no time taking control of the scoreboard with a Frank mark notched in the third minute.  Shawn McEvoy and Ty Long capped scoring in the half, and Drew Kirwin assisted on two of the visitors' three scores in the period.

            Kirwin kicked off scoring in the second quarter with an unassisted tally less than a minute into the frame.  Within the following minute, Lasell broke the scoreless barrier when Dylan Fernandes cut across the crease to finish with a hard bouncer past Plymouth net minder Kevin Hayes. PSU's Andrew Eriksen countered Fernandes' attack with a goal of his own, 30 seconds later.  Plymouth scored twice in a 43 second span to take a 7-1 lead into halftime.

            Plymouth was successful in not only keeping Lasell's scoring at bay in the half but also in winning 100% (10-10) of the faceoffs in the two quarters.  Hayes made seven stops in the first half, while Lasell goalie Eric Walsh made 11 saves.

            Both teams went without scoring through 13:53 of the third period at which point Lasell's extra-man unit effectively capitalized on a man-up scoring opportunity.  Sean Speciale netted the goal with help from Nick Sampson on the perimeter, but the third quarter closed with Plymouth up 7-2.

            Plymouth took off on a 5-0 run in the fourth quarter to complete their scoring.  Lasell lit up in the final two minutes, scoring four straight tallies to end the game.

            Frank, Kirwin, and Teddy Akrivlellis all finished with a game-best four points for PSU, while Long, Eriksen, and McEvoy each finished with two points.  Hayes made a total of 16 saves in the cage.

            PSU (1-0) plays its next eight games on the road, beginning with a jaunt to Colby College on Thursday, March 17th at 4:00 p.m.  Lasell (1-2) remains on their home turf when they host Tufts University on Tuesday, March 15th at 3:30 p.m. 

(Courtesy of Lasell Sports Information) 

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