Lyons move to 3-0 in NEWMAC play

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Sophomore Will Morrison (Osterville, Mass./Salisbury School) buried a career-high six goals to guide the Wheaton College men's lacrosse team to a 12-8 league victory over Coast Guard Academy on Saturday afternoon.

Senior Matthew Hillman (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) found the back of the net twice and dished out one assist, while sophomore Ryan Gjerset (Austin, Texas/St. Michael's Academy) contributed one goal and a game-high three assists to the attack. First-year Zachary Brode (Boulder, Colo./Boulder), sophomore Kyle Neale (Brooklyn, N.Y./Saint James School) and junior Kyle Rumberger (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) all tallied solo strikes to round out the scoring.

Coast Guard junior Justin Huemme (Sherborn, Mass./Dover Sherborn) and first-year Matt Huemme (Sherborn, Mass./Dover Sherborn) both scored two goals apiece to highlight the Bears offensively.

Junior Trent Moon (Yorktown, Va./Tabb), first-year Alec Groff (Willow Strett, Pa.), Robert McKenna (Chesapeake, Va./Chesapeake) and junior Louis DePaolis (Westchester, N.Y./Fordham) all registered one goal each.

Wheaton outshot Coast Guard, 34-27, held a slim 33-32 advantage in ground balls and went 15-for-17 at the face-off X. The Lyons also were 10-for-23 on their clear attempts. Coast Guard went 13-for-23 at the X, 17-for-23 in transition and 2-for-5 on extra-man opportunities.

Lyons' junior goalkeeper Ryan Clair (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School) made nine saves to move his record to 9-3 on the season. Coast Guard first-year goalkeeper Kurt Caminske (Sayville, N.Y.) matched Clair in saves but saw his record fall to 1-3 with the loss in today's game.

Trailing 2-0 early in the first period, Wheaton responded with eight-straight goals – which included five by Morrison – to take an 8-2 lead into the break. Along with Morrison's five goals during that span, Hillman potted two markers and Neale registered his sixth of the season with 6:23 remaining in the first, which gave the Lyons a 4-2 edge at the time.

Defensively, Wheaton held Coast Guard scoreless for 33:46 as the Bears finally got back into the scoring column on J. Huemme's first goal of the game at the 7:41 mark of the third. Coast Guard went on to tally five goals in the third period to bring the game with one at 8-7.

Gjerset answered for Wheaton in the fourth with his ninth goal of the season at 14:41 and later assisted on Rumberger's 17th strike of the year to make it 10-7. Brode followed with his 11th goal of the season at the 10:57 mark on a nice feed by Hillman before M. Huemme ripped a goal home (3:14) to cut into the deficit at 11-8.

With 1:23 left to play, Morrison denied all hopes of a Coast Guard comeback with his 35th goal of the season – which ranks second in the conference – off a pass by Gjerset to close out the victory.

Wheaton (9-3, 3-0 NEWMAC) travels to Babson College on Wednesday, April 15 for a 7 p.m. scheduled start. Coast Guard (2-8, 0-3 NEWMAC) visits Springfield next Wednesday at 7 p.m.

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