Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Plymouth State University men's lacrosse team limited Eastern Connecticut State University to one goal through the first 52 minutes and forced 29 turnovers in downing the Warriors, 10-4, in Little East Conference play Friday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field.
The win is the third straight in the series for Plymouth (7-4, 2-1 LEC), which had lost 32 of the first 38 against Eastern (4-7, 1-2 LEC). The Panthers won for the second time in the last six matches this year following a 5-0 start. Eastern dropped to 0-3 at home with its third loss overall in the last four outings.
The teams combined for only one goal in the first 24 minutes before the Panthers broke through for three goals over the final six minutes of the second quarter to take a 4-0 lead into halftime. Leading 4-1, Plymouth reeled off five straight goals to take a 9-1 lead into the final ten minutes of play Ryan Collins scored two of the five goals, with Brady Hunt chipping in three consecutive assists.
Junior
Rick O'Neal (East Hartford) won 12 of 16 faceoffs for Eastern to boost his season percentage to .536, and won seven ground balls to help the Warriors to a +2 advantage in that category. First-year goalie
Gregory Hilinski (Shelton) stopped 12 shots and first-year midfielder
Gabe Roman (Meriden) scored twice. First-year defenseman
Erik Suzio (Meriden) had seven ground balls and caused four turnovers, with first-year sophomore LSM
Jacob Shook (Wallingford) winning five ground balls and first-year midfielder
Sean Filley winning four.
Marc Hirshom had five ground balls Aiden O'Loughlin four for Plymouth. Senior goalie Owen McNichols stopped 14 shots – including his 100
th of the season – in winning his seventh match win 11 decisions.
Junior attack
Brycen Kennedy (Southington) to move to within one of 100 career points, while junior midfielder
Quinn O'Brien (Glastonbury) was held scoreless on one shot and remains at 99 points in his career.
Six of Eastern's ten starters are in their first seasons at Eastern.
Eastern visits Massachusetts Maritime Academy Tuesday in a conference match at 7 p.m. at Clean Harbors Stadium.
