Whear continues torrid offensive pace

NORTON, Mass. – First-year attackman Scott Whear (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) scored a career-high six goals to lead the Wheaton College men's lacrosse team to a 14-8 victory over Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) in non-conference action on Wednesday evening at Nordin Field.

Whear found the back of the net at least once during every period and also compiled seven ground balls to push the Lyons record to 5-2 on the season. Sophomore Will Morrison (Osterville, Mass./Salisbury School) rifled home four goals, while junior Kyle Rumberger (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable), sophomores Graydon Cook (Garrison, N.Y./The Masters School) and Ryan Gjerset (Austin, Texas/St. Michael's Catholic Academy) and senior Matthew Hillman (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) all had solo tallies. Morrison also provided four assists on offense to finish with a team-high eight points.

ECSU senior Dean Accomando (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) registered a hat-trick, dished out one assist and caused one turnover to highlight the Warriors' efforts. Junior Michael Dellanno (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield) added two markers, while senior Matthew Garcia (Somers, Conn./Somers), sophomore Shawn Tierney (Norwell, Mass./Norwell) and senior Aaron Daley (Bloomfield, Conn./Ellington) all contributed one goal each.

Both goalkeepers shined in the non-conference matchup combining for 36 saves total. ECSU junior Blake Smaldone (Hamilton, Mass./Hyde) stopped 21 shots to equal the sixth-most saves in a single-game in program history, while Wheaton junior Ryan Clair (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School) made 15 saves. Clair, the reigning New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Defensive Player of the Week, has now turned away ten or more shots six out of his seven starts this season.

Wheaton outshot ECSU by a 55-41 margin, went 15-for-26 at the face-off X and completed 16 out of its 17 clear attempts. The Lyons also were 6-for-21 in extra-man opportunities as the Warriors committed 23 penalties, which calculated to 19:30.

ECSU came out strong in the first period as the visitors built a 4-1 advantage on two goals from Accomando alongside solo strikes by Dellanno and Daley. Warriors' face-off specialist Jesse Schulze (Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y./Croton-Harmon) went 3-for-5, while junior Eddie Dorr (Winchester, Mass./Winchester) went 1-for-1 to aid ECSU in scoring opportunities that culminated in a 13-8 shot differential in the opening 15 minutes of play.

Wheaton flipped the script in the next two periods out-shooting ECSU, 32-12, to claim a 10-5 lead headed into the final 15 minutes of action.

The Lyons blanked the Warriors in the second period (4-0) for a 5-4 halftime lead as Clair made four saves and Whear and Morrison both potted two goals, respectively, to fuel the comeback bid. In the third period, Whear netted another two tallies, while Gjerset, Rumberger and Morrison all delivered solo markers for the commanding 10-5 advantage.

The Warriors pushed the pace in the fourth, but Wheaton still managed to outscore the visitors, 4-3, to close out the victory.

Lyons' first-year face-off specialist James Higgins (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) played a key role in the come-from-behind victory going 15-for-26 at the face-off X to go along with a team-high nine ground balls. Victor Moitinho (Duxbury, Mass./Duxbury) caused a team-high three turnovers alongside two ground balls. Sophomore midi Kyle Neale (Brooklyn, N.Y./Saint James) also registered four ground balls, two caused turnovers and two assists, while first-year James Holston (Wynnewood, Pa./Haverford School) had three caused turnovers and one ground ball.

Wheaton (5-2) hosts Clark University on Saturday in its NEWMAC season opener at 1 p.m. ECSU (2-4) welcomes Southern Maine to its campus on Saturday for a 2 p.m. conference matchup.

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