Box Score
MILTON, Mass. – Junior Rick O'Neal (East Hartford) won 15 of 23 faceoffs and picked up ten ground balls and junior Brycen Kennedy (Southington) and first-year player Tanner Drobish (Wallingford) combined for seven goals to power the Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team to an 11-8 non-conference victory over Curry College Wednesday afternoon at Katz Field.

O'Neal won six of seven faceoffs in the first quarter but Eastern (2-0) needed a late fourth-quarter blitz that featured the first four goals of the period that helped the Warriors break the fourth and final tie and send them to their third win over Curry (1-3) in the four-game series. Last year, Eastern was the victim of one of only five wins for the Colonels, who posted a 16-7 victory over Eastern early last season.

Wednesday, Curry overcame Eastern's two-goal lead late in the first half to forge a 7-7 tie after three periods on the strength of Stephen Stackhouse's  second goal of the match with just 23 seconds left in the period. While first-year goalie Gregory Hilinski (Shelton)  was pitching a fourth-quarter shutout, Eastern struck for four goals, with Drobish scoring the last two of his team-high four in a span of 1:15 late in the quarter. Kennedy and junior Quinn O'Connor (Glastonbury) each had a goal and assist in that four-goal spurt that made it 11-7 with just over four minutes left.

Kennedy, second on last year's team in scoring despite missing five games to injury, followed Drobish with three goals (giving him five in two games), with O'Connor and senior Zacharie Appolon (Stamford) chipping in their second each of the season and juniors Oliver Searle (Waterford) and Dan Barron (Newington) adding their first of 2024.
Hilinski stopped eight shots, surviving Curry's five-goal third quarter that pulled the Colonels even, 7-7, after 45 minutes.  Behind O'Neal, 11 of his teammates won at least one ground ball, with Searle credited with three. Junior Sean Ventresca (Montville) caused two turnovers.

For the second time this year, Eastern was whistled for only four penalties in the game – three of them 30 second technical – and surrendered just one extra-man goal (its first of the year).

Eastern looks for its first 3-0 start since 2002 when it visits Wheaton College Saturday at 1 p.m. The Warriors hold a 13-4 advantage in the series, including a 12-9 home verdict a year ago at Rick McCarthy Field. The Lyons split their first two matches this year --  the loss coming, 11-9 this past Saturday at Gordon College – and host Anna Maria College Thursday prior to hosting the Warriors Saturday. Eastern opened its season last Wednesday with a 10-9 win over the homestanding Fighting Scots.