PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team had a chance to force overtime but turned the ball over on its final three possessions and watched a three-game winning streak against Johnson & Wales University (2-1) ended in an 11-9 non-conference loss in its season-opener Wednesday at Scotts Athletics Complex.
 
Eastern never led and could never gain the equalizer despite cutting the deficit to one goal on three occasions in the second half, the final time on sophomore midfielder Andrew Pendagast's (Southbury) second goal of the half with just under three minutes remaining. Sophomore David Harrold (Southington) won the ensuing faceoff on a ground-ball pickup by sophomore midfielder Lucas Baretta (Berlin) but the teams combined for five turnovers before Chris Calisto connected on his second goal in five minutes in the final 30 seconds to provide insurance for the Wildcats.

First-year attackman Tim Lichack (Clinton) had four goals in his Eastern debut, scoring his first two two minutes apart midway though the second quarter that helped the Warriors cut a four-goal deficit in half. Harrold, who won 64.4 percent of his faceoffs behind All-Little East midfielder Tyler Stein last year, was 5-for-12 at the faceoff X while All-LEC junior long-stick midfielder Domenic Scarano (Berlin) and All-LEC junior defenseman Ryan Stocks (Longmeadow, MA) were each credited with their first career goals and first-year attackman Brycen Kennedy (Southington) on the team's first goal of the match.
 
Baretta had four ground balls and Lichack and Stocks three each and Stocks caused two of the Wildcats' 29 turnovers.
 
In his first career start (second appearance), junior goalie Nick Collazo (Park Ridge, NJ) made three saves and departed on the short end of an 8-5 deficit after one half. First-year goalie Sam Davies (Newington) made nine saves and allowed only three second-half goals.

Half of Eastern's starting position players were new to the program

Eastern opens its home season Wednesday with a non-conference match against University of Saint Joseph at 5 p.m. at Rick McCarthy Field.