NORTON, Mass. -- Junior attackman Robert Sullivan (Newton, Mass.) scored a career-high four goals to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's lacrosse team over visiting University of New England, 11-6, this afternoon at Nordin Field on the campus of Wheaton in Norton, Mass. The Lyons improve to a perfect 2-0 on the season, while the Nor'easters dip to 0-1 in their season opener.

UNE dominated the face-offs with 15 wins in 21 draws, but were plagued by 34 turnovers to Wheaton's total of 16.

Sullivan's four goals were his first scores of the season for the Lyons. He also added a ground ball. Senior attackers Lou Mainella (Falmouth, Maine) and Alec Morin (Belmont, Mass.) each tallied a pair of goals to go with two ground balls for Mainella and one for Morin. Senior defender Emmitt Zinn (Windham, Maine) picked up seven ground balls and added two caused turnovers, while sophomore defender Jacob Wharton (Worcester, Mass.) came up with five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Junior goalie Cory Bannon (Hopkinton, Mass.) turned away eight shots to earn the victory.

Senior attackman Kyle Kennedy (Santa Monica, Calif.) led the Nor'easters with a pair of goals in addition to two ground balls, while sophomore Sam McGregor (Dedham, Mass.) scored a goal and assisted on another to go with a pair of ground balls. Junior defender Will Szumita (Wayne, N.J.) scooped up a game-high nine ground balls and senior midfielder Jared Duffy (Ogunquit, Maine) picked up nine ground balls. Senior goalie Matt Deyette (North Greenbush, N.Y.) made 10 saves for UNE.

UNE received a goal each from Kennedy and senior middie Alden Balboni (Oakland, Maine) within the first four and a half minutes of play to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. 

Wheaton responded with four unanswered goals, spanning into the second quarter, to take a 4-2 lead and maintained its lead for the rest of the day. Morin bookended the four-goal outburst with a pair of scores, while first year attackman Ethan Powers (Braintree, Mass.) and Sullivan each netted a goal.

Sophomore midfielder Jordan White (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) found junior middie Colin Watt (Somers, Conn.) for an advantage goal to pull the Nor'easters to within 4-3 with 3:11 to play in the second quarter. Mainella and junior attackman Max Cooper (Tolland, Conn.) closed out the quarter and the half with a goal each for the home team to give the Lyons a 6-3 lead at the intermission.

Sullivan opened the scoring in the second half with a goal at the 10:09 mark, before McGregor scored and then assisted junior midfielder Ryan Hazard (Milford, Mass.) to cut the deficit to 7-5 for UNE. 

Sullivan netted an advantage marker for Wheaton with just 19 ticks left in the third quarter to give the Lyons an 8-5 margin heading into the final quarter of play.

Kennedy found the back of the net for an unassisted goal just 2:08 into the fourth quarter to pull the Nor'easters to within 8-6, but Wheaton scored the final three goals of the afternoon to put the game away. Senior midfielder Alex Berg (Southport, Conn.), Mainella and Sullivan all recorded goals to end the game.

The Lyons return to action on Wednesday, February 23 when they travel to Wenham, Mass. to take on Gordon College at 7:00 p.m., while UNE hosts Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on the same day at 4:00 p.m.

- wheatoncollegelyons.com -