The UMass Boston men’s lacrosse team took over the field for a two-game victory, starting with Vermont State Castleton Tuesday, April 22, which resulted in a whopping 21-8 win for the Beacons, and followed by the Keene State Owls Friday, April 25. That 10-8 win secured the Beacons’ second place in the conference.
On Tuesday, freshman Cole Allan opened the scoreboard for the Beacons, but the Spartans quickly retaliated, immediately tying the game at one. The Beacons did not stay tied with the Spartans for long, though, as they went on a six-goal run.
Graduate player Seth Libby was at the apex of this run as he kicked it off by netting his first of the game. This was followed by junior Matt Hutchings and sophomore Patrick Dwinnells. Libby capped off the first quarter with one of his classic goals, and the Beacons ended the first quarter with a 5-1 lead.
The second quarter started with senior Sean Daly opening the scoreboard. Junior Max Hamilton-Jones netted his second goal of the season. The Spartans responded with their own goal, which was met by graduate player Patrick Carey. Senior Timothy Sullivan took advantage of Carey’s momentum and struck a goal of his own; he was then followed by Libby, who completed his hat trick. The team ended the first half with a 10-2 advantage over the Spartans.
The third quarter saw the tides shift as Castleton opened the game. But their victory lap was extremely short-lived after junior Carson Meczywor scored; his momentum carried Daly and junior Ryan Steckman-Buck to their own goals. Castleton struck again, but were met with senior Shane McGonagle. Even though Castleton got the last goal of the third quarter, the Beacons had the last laugh and they held a firm 14-5 lead.
Castleton opened the fourth quarter; the Beacons responded with a four-goal run. Senior Nick Gualtieri started the scoring, followed by McGonagle, Gualtieri, and freshman Matthew Konareski. Allan struck again, followed by juniors Adrien Fielosh and Duncan Youngclaus, wrapping the game in a dominant 21-8 victory.
On Friday, Libby opened the game within two minutes. This was not taken lightly by the Owls, and they scored two consecutive goals. Hutchings tied the game shortly after. This was followed by a goal from Sullivan which secured a brief lead for the team. The Owls tied the game again shortly after, concluding the first quarter at 3-3 and entered halftime tied 4-4.
The Beacons got their momentum back as McGonagle scored in less than a minute in the third quarter. Hutchings followed, giving the Beacons a two-point lead. The Owls narrowed the lead within minutes. Before concluding the third quarter, Hutchings completed his hat trick.
The fourth quarter saw a fired-up Beacons as Schartner opened the scoring, followed by Hutchings and Gualtieri, bringing UMass Boston to a 10-6 lead. The Owls closed the game by adding two of their own, but unfortunately for them, that wasn’t enough. The game ended with a 10-8 Beacons win — instrumental in securing second place for the Beacons in the conference.
