NORTON, Mass. -- Senior attackman Lou Mainella (Falmouth, Maine) tallied a career-high five points and first year goalie John Drew (North Andover, Mass.) allowed just three goals to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's lacrosse team to a 15-4 victory over visiting Massachusetts Maritime Academy this evening at Nordin Field on the campus of Wheaton in Norton, Mass. The Lyons improve to a perfect 4-0 on the season to match the best start in school history from the 1991 squad, while the Buccaneers fall to 0-1 in their season opener.

Despite Mass. Maritime dominating the faceoffs, winning 16 of 23 at midfield, Wheaton took care of the ball with a perfect 23-23 success rate on clears, while committing 18 turnovers to the Buccaneers' total of 31. The Lyons also took advantage of their man-up opportunities, scoring on four of seven extra-man chances, while the Wheaton defense held Mass. Maritime to just 2-10 in the same situations with both of its advantage goals coming in the fourth quarter. 

Wheaton scored the first 10 goals of the game, including all eight scores in the second quarter and held the Buccaneers without a marker for the first 31:19 of play. 

Mainella netted three goals and added a ground ball for the Lyons, while Drew stopped nine of 12 shots in 50:54 of action. Junior attacker Shane Ross (Hanson, Mass.) also helped pace the home team's offense, matching his personal-best with three goals to go with a pair of ground balls. Senior attackman Ben Stomberg (Glastonbury, Conn.) scored twice and added a pair of assists in addition to a ground ball, while junior attacker Robert Sullivan (Newton, Mass.) also netted two goals in addition to a ground ball and a caused turnover. Sophomore defender Jacob Wharton (Worcester, Mass.) led the defense with three ground balls and three caused turnovers, while senior defender Matt Barrett (Guilford, Conn.) registered three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Junior goalie Cory Bannon (Hopkinton, Mass.) played the final 9:06 in net, stopping two of three shots to close out the match.

Junior attackman Mitchell Maida (Burlington, Mass.) led Massachusetts Maritime with a goal and two assists in addition to three ground balls. Junior attacker Ryan Cameron (Franklin, Mass.) netted a goal and added three ground balls, while sophomore attackman Jack Inversen (Hull, Mass.) and senior attacker Spencer Jones (Hyannis, Mass.) each scored a goal. First year Brian Rosher (Bridgewater, Mass.) was outstanding on the faceoff for the visitors, picking up a game-high seven ground balls. Senior goalie Viktor Wright (Plymouth, Mass.) turned away 10 shots for MMA.

Ross and senior attackman Alec Morin (Belmont, Mass.) each netted a goal for Wheaton for the only scores of the opening quarter. Stomberg opened the second quarter with a pair of advantage goals, while Sullivan and Mainella each found the back of the net twice in the quarter to fuel a 10-goal half and a 10-0 lead at the intermission for the Lyons.

Jones took a feed from Maida to end the scoring drought with 13:41 left in the third quarter and put the Buccaneers on the board at 10-1. Ross and Mainella scored the final two goals of the quarter to give Wheaton a 12-1 lead with the final 15 minutes remaining. 

Mass. Maritime matched the Lyons with three goals apiece in the final quarter. First year midfielder Mike McLaughlin (Stoughton, Mass.) scored his first collegiate goal just 12 ticks into the last period of the play to give the Lyons their largest lead of the night at 13-1. Iversen and Cameron responded with back-to-back goals to cut the deficit to 13-3 for the Buccaneers, before Wheaton tallied two of the final three goals, including the first career marker from first year attackman Jack Board (Westborough, Mass.) on a feed from classmate Ethan Powers (Braintree, Mass.) with 65 seconds left in the contest.

The Lyons have allowed six or fewer goals in three of four contests this season and have not allowed double-digit goals in any game.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, March 5 when it travels to Providence, R.I. to take on Johnson & Wales University at 1:00 p.m., while Massachusetts Maritime Academy hosts Curry College on March 5 at 11:00 a.m.