Box Score MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team scored two goals 35 seconds apart in the opening minutes and never trailed, ending a two-game Little East Conference losing streak with a 13-9 victory over Salem State University Saturday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex.
Eastern's (5-6, 3-2 Little East) win, coupled with UMass Dartmouth's 11-10 loss at Western Connecticut State University, gives the Warriors sole possession of third place in the conference. UMass Dartmouth had handed Eastern only its second two-game losing streak in LEC play Wednesday, 10-9, at Dartmouth, MA.
The match was only the second competitive one between Eastern and Salem (7-6, 2-3 Little East) in this series, which Eastern leads, 14-0.
Junior goalie Blake Smaldone (Hamilton, MA) made 21 saves for the third time in the last six matches and All-LEC senior defenseman Travis Tiger (Ridgefield) shut down conference scoring leader Zach Brown on one goal, two assists, and four shots. Brown brought conference-leading totals of 43 goals and 57 points into the match. He assisted on goals with six minutes left in the first and third quarters, but his only strike came with 3:14 left in the first half, an unassisted drive which cut Eastern's lead to three goals by the half.
Freshman Dane Heckmann's (Brookfield) second goal of the match two minutes into the fourth quarter gave the Warriors a comfortable five-goal cushion before the Vikings – coming off last year's 3-12 campaign – scored consecutive goals for the only time in the contest. Junior Alex Pearsons – the team's second-leading scorer behind Brown – scored twice and junior Ben Melaugh once to slice Eastern's lead to two, 11-9, with 2:41 left.
Senior Nate Staples (Salem, MA) won the ensuring faceoff and the Vikings forced Smaldone to make the save to avoid a one-goal game, but Salem was whistled for a penalty while senior midfielder Steven Nixon (Foxborough, MA) was retrieving the ground ball, and senior Dean Accomando (Monroe) answered with a man-up goal on a pass from junior Tim Reilly (Hanover, MA) to restore the three-goal lead.
After Salem again won the draw and Smaldone was called upon for his 20th save – 15th of the second half -- Eastern went a man down. Pearson's eighth shot of the match went wide, and moments later, Tiger picked up a loose ball off a Salem turnover, and Reilly contributed a short-handed strike – his sixth of the match – to round out the scoring.
Reilly finished with seven points, while sophomore Jesse Schulze (Croton-on-Hudson, NY) was 8-for-14 from the faceoff X and picked up four ground balls.
Pearson led Salem with three goals. Staples was 15-for-22 on faceoffs and collected seven ground balls. Senior LSM Ian Abrahamson picked up six ground balls. Senior goalie Dylan Sevenson made 14 saves – nine in the first half.
During pre-game ceremonies, Eastern honored its ten seniors: Nixon, Accomando, Tiger, Chris Barnett (Wilton), Matthew Garcia (Somers), Zach Thresher (Somers), Aaron Daley (Bloomfield), Michael Moore (Ellington), Chris Boardman (Fairfield) and Richard Squires (Norwalk).
Eastern visits Western Connecticut State University Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a conference match.
