NEWTON, Mass. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team hit the exact mid-point of the season Tuesday needing a boost to vault it into the second half -- or second season, if you will -- when they begin competition in the Little East Conference Friday. They experienced that boost against Mount Ida College at Alumni Field, forcing 30 turnovers and exploding for ten straight goals – holding the Mustangs scoreless for  35 minutes -- in a 14-5 victory in the final tuneup for that "second season."

With its seventh straight win in the series, Eastern closed its non-conference ledger at 4-4 this year heading into the final month of the season, which is played strictly against conference competition. Coming off a 14-5 season, Mount Ida (1-6) had posted its first win of the year three days ago, a 22-7 Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory over visiting Albertus Magnus College.

In a match which featured  21 ½ penalty minutes (and 52 turnovers), Eastern's penalty-kill was up to the task, emerging unscathed on all nine of the Mustangs' extra-man opportunities.

Eastern cashed in four of its five extra-man goals in the game during the run of ten straight goals that extended a one-goal lead midway through the second period to 11 with just over three minutes left in the match. Senior attack Connor Wyllie (Somers) got the ball rolling with a man-up goal midway through the second period, junior attack Samuel Watson (Trumbull) added an extra-man goal top open the second half that made it 8-3 and in the final minutes of the third period, Watson contributed another man-up goal. Senior attack Matthew Rougeot (Cheshire) closed the quarter with an even-strength goal and added the team's fifth man-up goal to open the final quarter and pushed the lead to nine, 12-3.

In limiting Mount Ida to the least goals allowed by the Warriors this year,  Eastern got a season-high 13 saves from junior goalie; Chris Gorman (Shrewsbury, MA) before he gave way to sophomore Taylor Huta (Waterford) inside the final six minutes. Rougeot and sophomore midfielder Anthony Choronzy (Clinton)  each picked up four ground balls, with Rougeot causing three. All four Eastern faceoff men saw action at the "X", with freshman Connor Hillemeir (Farmington) winning seven of 17.

Rougeot equaled his season-high with four goals and senior midfielder Harrison Urda (Milford, NH) had two goals and improved his team-leading assist total of 16, with six. For Watson, all three of his goals came in man-up situations.

Eastern hosts Keene State College Friday at noon in its Little East Conference opener. The Warriors play at home in four of its first six conference matches before closing out the regular-season at Salem State University April 27. The LEC playoffs begin with first-round games May 1.