NORTON, Mass. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) men's lacrosse team fell to visiting Springfield College, 14-4, this afternoon in the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference opener at Nordin Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.

The Lyons fall to 4-4 on the season and 0-1 in league play, while the Pride improve to 2-4 and 1-0.

Springfield controlled the majority of the match, winning 15 of 21 faceoffs and converted all 16 clear attempts without issue. The Pride held a 50-30 shot advantage and held a 36-21 margin in ground balls.

Four different players cracked the scoring column for Wheaton with first year attackman Charlie Krause (Charlestown, R.I.), senior midfielder Shane Ross (Hanson, Mass.), sophomore midfielder Jack Board (Westborough, Mass.) and sophomore attackman Ethan Powers (Braintree, Mass.) all finding the back of the net for the Lyons. Ross added a pair of ground balls and caused a turnover, while Board picked up a ground ball. Junior defender Jacob Wharton (Worcester, Mass.) came up with a pair of ground balls and caused four turnovers and sophomore midfielder Charlie Racine (Oradell, N.J.) picked up eight ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers. Sophomore goalie John Drew (North Andover, Mass.) made 15 saves for the Lyons.

Senior midfielder Mason Nocito (Mahopac, N.Y.) led all scorers with four goals and added an assist for Springfield and senior attacker Alek Turi (Glastonbury, Conn.) also netted four scores in addition grabbing three ground balls and causing a turnover. Senior attacker Riley Burgmyer (Somers, Conn.) tallied four points with a goal and three assists to go with a ground ball and graduate student attacker Conor Tracy (Walpole, Mass.) netted two goals and added an assist. Graduate student defender Conner Roberts (Somers, Conn.) and junior long-stick midfielder Gavin Carzello (Westfield, Mass.) each came away with five caused turnovers apiece. Junior goalie Jack Hamilton (Falmouth, Mass.) stopped nine shots for the Pride.

Springfield tallied all three goals in the first quarter as part of a six-goal burst over the first 20 minutes to open the game with a 6-0 lead with 10 minutes to play in the second quarter. Nocito and Turi each netted a pair of goals to fuel the Pride's initial outburst. 

Ross and Board scored within 24 seconds of each other to put Wheaton in the scoring column and cut the deficit to 6-2 with 9:08 left in the period. 

Springfield countered with the final two scores of the first half to enter the intermission with an 8-2 advantage. First year midfielder Brady Soldo (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and Nocito found the back of the net for the visitors.

The Pride carried their momentum into the second half, scoring the first two markers of the third quarter, including single goals from first year attacker Nicholas Savastano (South Salem, N.Y.) and Turi to increase the Springfield cushion to 10-2 with 12:10 showing in the third period.

Powers scored the Lyons lone goal of the third quarter on a feed from Ross at the 9:18 mark, before Tracy matched him for the Pride with 4:05 remaining in the quarter to keep it an eight-goal margin heading into the fourth period.

Sophomore midfielder Mike McLaughlin (Stoughton, Mass.) found Krause in a man-up situation for Wheaton's final marker just 17 seconds into the fourth quarter to pull the home team to within 11-4.

Springfield held the Lyons scoreless for the remainder of the period, while Burgmyer, Turi and Nocito all scored for the Pride to give them a 10-goal victory.

Wheaton returns to action on Saturday, March 25 when it heads to Boston, Mass. to take on NEWMAC foe Emerson College at 1:00 p.m., while Springfield travels to Amherst, Mass. to play Amherst College on March 22 at 6:00 p.m.