Box Score
MANSFIELD, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University men's lacrosse team (2-3, 1-1 LEC) won its first Little East Conference match of the season against Plymouth State University (4-4, 0-1 LEC) Saturday afternoon at Rick McCarthy Field, gaining a measure of revenge for a 13-goal loss in the first round of the LEC playoffs a year ago.
 
Plymouth's goal total was its lowest against the Warriors since Eastern pinned a 9-6 loss on the Panthers at McCarthy Field in 2021.
 
The Warriors got off to a 5-1 start by the beginning of the second quarter and never trailed for their first win over the Panthers since a 16-13 victory in the 2022 season – ending a string of five straight losses (by an average of over ten goals) to improve their all-time record against PSU to 33-11.
 
Warren Channing (Glastonbury) scored five goals on eight shots on goal, having scored just three goals in 2026 prior to the start of Saturday's match. Channing's first came late in the first quarter after assisting Tanner Drobish (Wallingford) for his sixth goal of the season. Plymouth State got on the board just over a minute after Channing's unassisted goal, as Hunter Richards scored to make it a 3-1 game in favor of the Warriors with 2:39 to go in the first quarter.
 
The best run of the match for the visiting Panthers came during the second quarter, outscoring the Warriors 3-1. Ronan Donnelly (Wantagh, NY) opened the scoring with 14:22 remaining in the second to make it 5-1 Eastern. Plymouth State scored three goals in a row from this point, shutting out the Warriors for the rest of the half. Seamus Tattan and Aiden Renner each picked up a goal and an assist in the Panther scoring run that made it 5-4 Eastern at the half. Tattan's goal was scored with no time remaining on the game clock.
 
Having conceded three consecutive goals, the Warriors scored three of their own through Channing (2) and Landon Mabb (Sun Prairie, WI) who delivered his first of four goal contributions on the day.
 
Both goalies made more saves than goals allowed, with Plymouth State's Ethan Schena recording 15 saves and Eastern's Gregory Hilinski (Shelton) nine. Team statistics were relatively even across the board, apart from turnovers, an area that hurt Plymouth State who committed 19. Jacob Corso (Guilford) and Matthew Fritzsche (New Fairfield) each caused two.
 
Entering the final quarter in a four-goal hole, the Panthers were only able to find one goal to cut into the deficit, courtesy of Nate Cochran on a man-up opportunity. Both of Cochran's goals came from man-up opportunities in a game that had twelve penalties, six called on each side. Of the twelve, eleven were called in the second half and only two lasted for 30 seconds.
 
The Warriors took 35 shots to Plymouth State's 33 but had 26 shots on goal to Plymouth State's 16. Renner for the Panthers was the only player to reach double digits in shot attempts with 12 and led all players with 5 ground balls. The Warriors had the edge in face-offs, using four players to earn a 12-7 advantage on the day. Jake Correia (East Lyme) won eight out of eleven for the Warriors.
 
Eastern visits Salem State University next Saturday at noon at O'Keefe Field in a conference match, looking for its 23^rd win over the Vikings in the 23-game series. Last year, Mabb and Channing each scored four goals in the 13-5 win at Rick McCarthy Field.
 
The Vikings (4-3, 1-1 LEC) have lost to Keene State 16-8 and beaten VTSU Castleton 16-8 so far this season.