Box Score
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Following a ride of more than three hours, the bus carrying the Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team came to a halt  at Panther Field Saturday afternoon. Only the Warriors did not get off.
 
Facing defending Little East Conference champion Plymouth State University (5-4, 1-2 LEC), undermanned Eastern lost ten of 11 first-quarter faceoffs and gave up nine first-quarter goals on 18 shots in dropping its fourth straight in the series with the Panthers, 18-9.
 
Senior attacks Crosby Fay and Ryan Collins and senior midfielder Ryan Jones combined for 13 goals and three assists for Plymouth, which had lost three of its previous four after winning three of its first four but improved to 4-1 at home.  Eastern (4-4, 1-2 LEC), which had split its first four road contests, has lost three of its last four.
 
All of Plymouth's goals were even-strength tallies as Eastern did not commit a penalty over 60 minutes and now has been assessed only 1.5 flags per game which has allowed its eight opponents just 12 extra-man opportunities this year. The Warriors continue to produce in man-up situations, with first-year midfielder Cooper Piesco (New Fairfield) connecting on one of Eastern's five extra-man situations in the final minute of the third quarter. The Warriors have now scored on 40 percent of their 37 man-up opportunities.
 
Fay, a returning first-team All-LEC player, scored three of his five goals in the first quarter but was limited to only two the rest of the way on 13 total shots.
 
Junior attack Warren Channing (Glastonbury), the team scoring leader this year, improved his season total of 28 after scoring four times against Plymouth, with sophomore attack Tanner Drobish (Wallingford) adding three goals to give him 13 on the year. Sophomore midfielder Connor Chirico (Milford) was credited with his first three assists of the season, First-year attack Landon Mabb (Sun Prairie, WI) pitched in two assists to give him a team-high 13.
 
Eastern sophomore Nathan Tranquilli (North Branford) won both of his faceoff attempts to improve his season percentage to nearly 50 percent in limited attempts.
 
Drobish led Eastern with three ground balls, while first-year midfielder Logan Pych (Vernon, NJ) had three caused turnovers and Channing and first-year long stick midfielder Jacob Corso (Guilford) credited with two each.
 
Off the bench sophomore Keane Stanton (New Milford) saw his first action in goal this year, while first-year goalie Ryder Casady (Westerly, RI) made his collegiate debut. Stanton did not allow a goal in six minutes while Casady made two saves and gave up only one goal in nine minutes.
 
Playing its  fourth among eight season-ending conference matches, Eastern hosts Massachusetts Maritime Academy (6-3, 2-1 LEC) Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Rick McCarthy Field. The Buccaneers opened their LEC season defeating the University of Southern Maine at home, 17-7, March 22 and Keene State College on the road last Saturday, 14-12 before losing at Massachusetts Boston Saturday, 16-7.