WENHAM, Mass. -- Junior attackman Max Cooper (Tolland, Conn.) scored a career-high five goals to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's lacrosse team over host Gordon College, 11-9, this evening at the Brigham Complex in Wenham, Mass. The Lyons improve to 3-0 on the season for the best start in school history since the 1991 squad began the campaign with a 4-0 mark. The contest marks the third straight occasion that Wheaton has served as the season opening opponent for its foe this year as the Fighting Scots fall in their first match of the year to dip to 0-1.

Despite winning by just two goals, the Lyons dominated in every facet of the match, especially in shot desrepancy with a 65-26 margin. Wheaton won 15 of 24 faceoffs, owned a 22-9 turnover advantage and a 41-26 margin for ground balls. The Lyons had no trouble getting into the offensive zone either, successfully clearing the ball 17 of 19 times, while holding Gordon to a successful clear just 18 times in 31 attempts.

Cooper also picked up four ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers for Wheaton, while Stomberg finished with two goals and a ground ball. Senior attackman Lou Mainella (Falmouth, Maine) notched three points with a goal, two assists and a ground ball. Senior midfielder Alex Berg (Southport, Conn.) led all players with eight ground balls and added a caused turnover. Sophomore Jacob Wharton (Worceter, Mass.) recorded three ground balls and four caused turnovers. Junior goalie Cory Bannon (Hopkinton, Mass.) stopped four shots for the Lyons.

Sophomore midfielder Marco Fernandez (Fishkill, N.Y.) and first year attackman Kobi Bui (Harleysville, Pa.) each netted three goals and added a ground ball each to lead Gordon. Sophomore defender James Wheeler (Rochester, N.Y.) led the defense for the Fighting Scots with four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers, while junior midfielder Joe Bean (Macedon, N.Y.) picked up seven ground balls for Gordon. First year goalie Colin Liscomb (Woodstock, Conn.) finished with a staggering 25 saves in 54:19 to play, before yielding to classmate first year goalie Patrick Williams (Woodstock, Conn.), who stopped the only shot he saw in 5:41 of action.

Wheaton owned a 9-4 lead with 8:42 to play in the third quarter, following seven unanswered goals, but the Fighting Scots were true to their moniker, netting four unanswered goals to pull to within 9-8 with 7:46 remaining in the game. Cooper scored 33 seconds later for the Lyons, before senior midfielder Mike Goodwin (Acton, Mass.) found first year middie Charlie Racine (Oradell, N.J.) for his first collegiate goal to give Wheaton some breathing room at 11-8 with 6:21 to play in the contest. Gordon sophomore midfielder John Flemmi (Braintree, Mass.) tallied an unassisted goal with 2:26 left to finish the night's scoring with the home team two goals short of its guests.

The Fighting Scots opened the game with the first two scores of the evening coming from sophomore midfielder Marco Fernandez (Fishkill, N.Y.) and junior middie Noah Thies (Malvern, Pa.) for a 2-0 lead at the 7:30 mark of the opening quarter. The Lyons ripped off seven straight goals that spanned the rest of the first quarter and the second quarter, before Cooper's fourth goal of the game gave Wheaton a 7-2 cushion with 13:08 showing on the third quarter clock. Cooper netted two other goals during the run and senior attacker Ben Stomberg (Glastonbury, Conn.) also found the back of the net twice.

The teams traded a pair of goals with Gordon first year attackman Kobi Bui (Harleysville, Pa.) and senior midfielder Alex Berg (Southport, Conn.) exchanging scores, before Fernandez and Cooper scored for each team to make it 9-4.

The Lyons will be in action again on Wednesday, March 2 when they host Massachusetts Maritime Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Nordin Field, while the Fighting Scots host Eastern Connecticut State University on February 26 at 1:00 p.m.