BOSTON, Mass. – Freshman
Matt Miner (Chelmsford, Mass.) led Plymouth State University with two goals and an assist in a 19-7 setback at the University of Massachusetts Boston on Saturday afternoon in the Little East Conference (LEC) opener for both teams.
UMass Boston exploded out of the gates with six straight goals. Miner helped the Panthers close in with his first goal in the second quarter and added another in the third, but the Beacons' offense was too strong. UMB was receiving votes in this week's New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (NEILA) poll.
Plymouth State falls to 2-6 overall (0-1 LEC), while UMass Boston remains undefeated at 7-0 (1-0 LEC).
The Basics:
- Plymouth State 7, UMass Boston 19
- Plymouth State (2-6, 0-1 LEC)
- UMass Boston (7-0, 1-0 LEC)
Top Performers:
How it Happened:
- UMass Boston came out on fire with six consecutive scores, but freshman Zach Gilvar (Stratham, N.H.) broke the streak and punched in a goal to put the Panthers on the board.
- After a four-goal spurt by the Beacons, Miner got a helper from freshman Leif Charbonneau (North Grafton, Mass.) past the home goaltender for his first of the day to make the score 10-2.
- UMB responded quickly with a score, but sophomore Ryan Hanlon (Hull, Mass.) had the answered for the Panthers to close out the first half, 11-3.
- Freshman Joey Loeber (Chelmsford, Mass.) opened the third quarter by cruising through the defense and taking a shot to the net for a goal, but the hosts used a man-up goal to steal the momentum and expand the lead to 14-4.
- Sophomore Nolan Burke (Worcester, Mass.) and Miner teamed up for another two scores to close the gap, but the Beacons matched the duo with two of their own to enter the final quarter leading 16-6.
- UMB added to its cushion before freshman Ryan Jones (Tolland, Conn.) snuck in a last-minute score for the Panthers to end the game, 19-7.
By the Numbers:
- Plymouth State went 0-for-4 in man-up opportunities, while UMass Boston converted 3-of-6.
- Sophomore Owen McNichols (Manchester, N.H.) had 12 saves over the first 40:54, before giving way to classmate Jessy Hirwa (Penacook, N.H.), who made six saves the rest of the way.
- The Beacons edged out PSU in shots by a margin of 50-41.
- Plymouth State recorded eight caused turnovers, with sophomore Marc Hirshom (East Walpole, Mass.) and senior Mark Iamele (Georgetown, Mass.) contributing two apiece.
Up Next:
- Plymouth State welcomes Western Connecticut State University to Panther Field next Saturday (Apr. 2) for an 11:00 a.m. tilt with the LEC rivals.
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