NORTON, Mass. – Six players netted multiple goals, including a trio with a hat trick for the Wheaton College (Mass.) men's lacrosse team in a 21-5 victory over visiting Anna Maria College this evening at Nordin Field on the Wheaton campus in Norton, Mass.
The Lyons improve to 2-1 on the season, while the AMCATS fall to 0-4.
It was the largest margin of victory for Wheaton since it defeated Emerson College, 23-7 on April 8, 2017.
Wheaton dominated possession throughout the match, owning a 61-27 shot advantage, while coming up with 46 ground balls to Anna Maria's total of 32. The AMCATS won the faceoff battle, 18-11, but managed to convert just 12 of 22 clear attempts. The Lyons were successful on 20 straight clears to open the match and finished with success on 24 of 27 clearing attempts.
Sophomore attackman Emmett Edwards (Sunderland, Vt.) tallied a career-high four points on three goals and an assist to go with six ground balls and a caused turnover for Wheaton, while junior midfielder Charlie Racine (Oradell, N.J.) netted three goals and added eight ground balls and a caused turnover. Sophomore midfielder Karter Noyes (Manchester Center, Vt.) scored the first three markers of his career and added a ground ball. First year attackman Evan Paturzo (Bellingham, Mass.) tallied three points with a pair of goals and an assist in addition to a ground ball and a caused turnover. Junior defender Brendan Wojnarowicz (Rutland, Mass.) contributed with three ground balls, a pair of caused turnovers and an assist. Junior goalie John Drew (North Andover, Mass.) stopped six of 10 shots in the opening 45:42 of play, before yielding to first year netminder Evan Borchert (Littleton, Colo.), who made his collegiate debut with four saves on five shots in the final 14:18 of action.
Junior midfielder Liam Bedenkop (Marstons Mills, Mass.) led Anna Maria with a pair of goals and added five ground balls, while junior attackman Hank Gittines (Shrewsbury, N.J.), first year Eric Farrell (Milford, Mass.) and first year Spencer Carpenter (Castleton, N.Y.) each netted a goal for the visitors. Junior midfielder Nathan Powers (Putney, Vt.) won 13 of 18 faceoffs and picked up seven ground balls and junior defender Jeff Robinson (Wayne, N.J.) came up with five ground balls. First year goalie Christian Williams (Brooklyn, N.Y.) registered 13 saves during the match.
The AMCATS scored two of the first three goals, behind markers from Bedenkop and Gittines to take a 2-1 edge with 8:41 left in the opening quarter. The Lyons scored five unanswered goals from five different players, including a marker from first year attackamn Theo Stamatel (Plainville, Mass.) to give Wheaton a four-goal margin with 9:13 to play in the second quarter.
Carpenter cut the deficit to 6-3 for Anna Maria with a goal coming at the 7:12 mark of the second quarter, before the Lyons tallied the final three goals of the half, including a pair from Edwards, to take a 9-3 lead into the intermission.
Racine netted the first two scores of the third quarter in a span of 21 seconds to ignite a five-goal burst capped by a marker from junior midfielder Jack Board (Westborough, Mass.) to increase the home team's advantage to 14-3 with 5:03 remaining in the quarter. Farrell scored the final goal of the third quarter for the AMCATS at 4:18 to make it 14-4 with one quarter to play.
While Wheaton held comfortable lead heading into the fourth quarter, it left no doubt of the outcome, outscoring its guests 7-1 in the final period. Sophomore attackman Hunter Pelletier (Gorham, Maine) and Paturzo each netted a pair of goals in the quarter to lead the Lyons. First year attackman Mitch Tepedino (Southbury, Conn.) and first year midfielder Will Durkee (Oakland, Maine) both registered their first respective collegiate tallies as well during the quarter for Wheaton. The goals were the first of Paturzo's collegiate career. Bedenkop scored the lone goal of the period for Anna Maria.
Both teams return to play on Saturday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m. The Lyons host Eastern Connecticut State University on Nordin Field, while the AMCATS head to North Adams, Mass. to take on Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
