UMass Boston’s men’s lacrosse team starts the 2026 season with two consecutive victories. The first was Feb. 27 against University of New England where they won 15-11, followed by a 18-9 win against Nichols College March 7.
At the first game, the Beacons were ready for the season. Their preparedness was shown in the way they started the first half, setting the tone for the entire game. Sophomore Jack Schartner opened the game for the team with a four-goal, five-point performance.
The Beacons cornered their enemy as seniors Nolen Beauregard and Matt Hutchings each netted hat-tricks, increasing the pressure over the Nor’easters.
As the second quarter began, the team maintained their momentum and upper hand over their opponents.
Sophomore Cole Allaan netted two goals and assists. Other Beacons, including senior Matt Laverty, junior Patrick Dwinnells and junior Jaden Cronin, each netted one goal for the team.
The team fired offensively and the Nor’easters were unfortunate enough to bear the wrath of the Beacons.
The Beacons equally maintained their defense as well; junior goalkeeper James Boldy was a force in the goal post as he continued his extraordinary performance. Boldy has gotten visibly stronger since he joined the team, and he made a number of crucial saves for his team.
March 7, the Beacons carried their momentum into their home opener against the Nichols College Bisons. Schartner opened the game just two minutes in as he netted his first goal of the game. The Bisons tied the game 1-1. This lead was short-lived as Schartner netted his second followed by Hutchings who concluded the first quarter with a 3-1 Beacon lead.
The team was quick to take over the second quarter as Hutchings scored his second goal of the game, assisted by sophomore Tyler Hilgert. Allaan struck twice after, and Laverty netted his first of the game.
The Beacons defense and offense were in perfect sync as Cronin stretched the lead to 7-1. The opponent scored three consecutive goals, but Hutchings and Hilgert put a stop to their efforts as they capped the quarter off with a 10-4 lead.
The third quarter witnessed the determined Beacons as Schartner completed his second hat-trick. He alone had five goals to his name on the day. Allan followed in his footsteps as he netted two more for the team. Sophomore Joesph McCullough and Hank Alessandro both shot last minute goals, ending the third quarter with a 16-5 advantage.
The Bisons opened the scoring for the fourth quarter as they netted three goals. This still wasn’t enough to control the fire within the Beacons as they responded. Cronin and freshman Max White, assisted by freshman Brayden MacLean, netted two goals securing their 18-9 win over Nichols College.
Boldy was the anchor holding the Beacons defense together as he made 14 saves for the team. Their defense and offense complemented each other which helps the players focus on their roles on the field.
The team has definitely improved since last season, and they have a promising start with two wins under their belt.
