Hillman pots four goals in loss

MANSFIELD, Conn.  – Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) outscored the Wheaton College men's lacrosse team 7-3 in the third quarter to post an eventual 14-9 victory over the Lyons on Tuesday afternoon at the Mansfield Outdoor Complex. 

Wheaton junior Matthew Hillman (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) netted a team-high four goals to push his team-leading mark to 18 on the season. The Lyons also received solo tallies from Cam Hanlon (Hanson, Mass./BC High), Will Morrison (Osterville, Mass./Salisbury School), Brian Teague (Cross River, N.Y./Salisbury School), Kyle Rumberger (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) and Barrett Jenness (Edmonds, Wash./The Overlake School). 

ECSU got three goals in a span of four minutes in the third quarter from sophomore Tim Reilly (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) to help the Warriors break a three-game losing streak. Senior All-American Mike Devine (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) also added one goal, while classmate Mike Jordan (Cheshire, Conn./Cheshire) contributed a goal and assist to highlight ECSU's third quarter run. 

Trailing 3-2, Wheaton jumped out on top first after the break tying the game on Jenness' sixth goal of the season, but the hosts answered twice in a span of 19-seconds to reclaim the lead. Warriors' junior Steven Nixon  (Foxborough, Mass./Foxborough) and Jordan responded with back-to-back goals which included a man-up tally with 11:18 left to play in the third. 

Morrison brought the Lyons' deficit back within one goal (5-4) at the 10:06 mark finding the back of the net off a feed from Hanlon, his sixth of the season. ECSU responded with a 5-1 run to close out the half and never looked back. 

Wheaton sophomore Paul Gray (Danbury, Conn./Millbrook School) won 13 of 19 face-offs for the Lyons, who remained within striking distance in the fourth quarter by scoring two extra-man goals. Freshman defenseman Christopher Laudenbach (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) scooped up six ground balls, and Hanlon tallied four ground balls and two assists in addition to his lone marker. 

Sophomore Blake Smaldone (Hamilton, Mass./Hyde) and Brendan Gillotti (Danbury, Conn./Danbury) split time in net for Eastern, combining on five saves, while sophomore Ryan Clair (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School) stopped a career-high 16 shots for the Lyons. Gillotti allowed only three Wheaton goals on 11 third-quarter shots and backstopped the team into a 10-5 lead entering the final 15 minutes. 

Wheaton (2-5) hosts Oneonta State on Saturday, March 22 at 1 p.m. ECSU (3-3) welcomes the University of New England to its campus on Thursday at 2 p.m. 

For the latest on Wheaton College Athletics, follow the Lyons via social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.