NORTON, Mass. -- Sophomore midfielder Charlie Racine (Oradell, N.J.) tallied four goals, including the eventual game-winner to give the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's lacrosse team a 6-5 win over visiting Curry College this afternoon on Nordin Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons improve to 4-0 on the season and have held their first four opponents to seven or fewer markers for the first time since the 1991 squad achieved the same feat. The Colonels fall to 0-2 on the year.

The Wheaton defense held Curry without a goal for the final 21:37 of play, while the offense erased a two-goal deficit and took the lead for good on Racine's fourth goal of the afternoon with 4:49 to play in the match. 

The Lyons overcame a 44-30 shot advantage held by their guests, thanks to the stellar play of senior goalie Cory Bannon (Hopkinton, Mass.), who recorded a career-high 19 saves. Wheaton's defense stepped up when it mattered most, holding the Colonels scoreless on eight man-up opportunities, while scoring twice on five of its own chances. The Lyons also overcame 19 turnovers to Curry's 12 to eke out the win.

Racine won eight of 15 faceoffs and added a career-high nine ground balls for Wheaton. Sophomore midfielder Mike McLaughlin (Stoughton, Mass.) netted a goal and added an assist to go with a ground ball and a caused turnover, while senior middie Shane Ross (Hanson, Mass.) scored a goal and added a pair of ground balls. Junior defender Jacob Wharton (Worcester, Mass.) registered four caused turnovers and picked up five ground balls.

Sophomore attackman Brody Dalzell (Wrentham, Mass.) netted three goals in addition to four ground balls to lead Curry. Senior midfielder Robbie Tartaglia (Wrentham, Mass.) contributed with a goal and an assist and junior attackman Stephen Stackhouse (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) netted the other goal. Junior defender Will Karszes (Somers, Conn.) led the defense with six caused turnovers and picked up three ground balls.

Dalzell scored on a feed from Tartaglia to cap a three-goal string and give the Colonels a 5-3 lead with 6:37 to play in the third quarter. The Lyons' defense tightened up as the offense chipped away at the margin.

Racine scored just 66 seconds after Dalzell with a man advantage to pull Wheaton to within 5-4 at the 5:31 mark of the third period. Ross wasted no time to knot the game at 5-5, scoring just 50 seconds into the fourth quarter with an unassisted marker.

Racine tallied the final goal of the day with 4:49 remaining in the game to give the Lyons the lead for good at 6-5.

Stackhouse and Dalzell each scored to bookend single goals from Racine and McLaughlin in the first quarter to enter the second period with a 2-2 deadlock.

Racine found the back of the net on a feed from McLaughlin at 11:30 of the second quarter to give Wheaton a 3-2 lead. Curry scored the final two goals of the quarter to take a 4-3 edge into halftime. Dalzell scored on an assist from junior defender Jack Canto (Billerica, Mass.) at 4:17 to register the game's third tie in the first 25-plus minutes of play. Tartaglia put the Colonels ahead, 4-3, with 2:48 showing on the second quarter clock.

Junior goalie Austin Brown (Scarborough, Maine) turned away nine shots for Curry.

The Lyons return to Nordin Field on Wednesday, March 1 to host Roger Williams University at 7:00 p.m., while the Colonels open their home slate on March 2 vs. Eastern Connecticut State University at 4:00 p.m.