PAXTON, Mass. — Sophomore midfielder Mike McLaughlin (Stoughton, Mass.) netted a career-high seven goals and added three assists to lead the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's lacrosse team to a 21-7 rout over host Anna Maria College this evening at AMCAT Stadium in Paxton, Mass. in the season opener for both squads.

The Lyons improve to 1-0 on the season, while the AMCATS fall to 0-1.

Anna Maria won 24 of 32 faceoffs, but Wheaton forced its hosts into 24 turnovers, while committing just 13 itself. The Lyons took advantage of the AMCATS penalties, scoring on four of five advantage opportunities as part of a commanding 47-31 shot margin, including 17-5 in the fourth quarter. 

McLaughlin added a ground ball and caused a turnover for Wheaton, while senior attackman Robert Sullivan (Newton, Mass.) tallied a career-best seven points with three goals and four assists to go with three ground balls. Senior midfielder Shane Ross (Hanson, Mass.) recorded five points, including three goals and a pair of assists in addition to a ground ball and sophomore midfielder Charlie Racine (Oradell, N.J.) gave the Lyons four players with three or more goals, notching a hat trick to go with six ground balls. First year attackman Emmett Edwards (Sunderland, Vt.) contributed with five points, including his first two collegiate goals and added a ground ball. Junior defender Jacob Wharton (Worcester, Mass.) led the defense with a game-high four caused turnovers and added four ground balls.

Junior midfielder Tommy Girard (Newbury, Mass.) led Anna Maria with a pair of goals in addition to a pair of ground balls, while sophomore attacker Brennan Fields (Chicopee, Mass.) chipped in with a goal and an assist and three ground balls. Sophomore midfielder Nathan Powers (Putney, Vt.) controlled the X for the AMCATS, winning 24 of 32 faceoffs, while picking up 15 ground balls and scoring a goal. 

Wheaton scored the first five markers of the contest, including two each from Racine and Edwards, to give the visitors a 5-0 lead with 13:09 to play in the second quarter. 

Girard put Anna Maria on the board with a marker at the 12:20 mark of the second period to make it 5-1. The Lyons scored six of the final eight goals of the quarter, including three from McLaughlin and two from Ross, to take a 12-3 advantage at the intermission. Girard and Powers each found the back of the net for the AMCATS.

Wheaton and Anna Maria traded a pair of goals to start the third quarter, before the Lyons scored three unanswered markers with a pair of McLaughlin scores sandwiched around a goal from sophomore midfielder Jack Board (Westborough, Mass.), to take a 17-5 cushion. Sophomore Liam Bedenkop (Marstons Mills, Mass.) tallied a goal with 10 ticks left on the third quarter clock to pull the home team to within 17-6 after three quarters of play.

Fields opened the fourth quarter scoring just 35 seconds into the period for the AMCATS, before Wheaton closed the contest with four straight markers, including the first collegiate goal from junior middie Alden Leadley (Scarborough, Maine), to come away with a 21-7 victory.

Senior goalie Cory Bannon (Hopkinton, Mass.) finished with seven stops for the Lyons, while sophomore netminder Matthew Peicker (Bedford, N.H.) turned away 12 shots for Anna Maria.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, February 18 when it travels to Biddeford, Maine to take on University of New England at 12:00 p.m., while the AMCATS head to Purchase, N.Y. on February 19 to play Manhattanville College at 1:00 p.m.