Box Score NEWTON, Mass. – The Corsairs could not overcome a nine-goal second quarter by host Lasell on Saturday, as UMass Dartmouth men's lacrosse dropped a 15-8 contest to the Lasers at Grellier Field in non-conference action.
Lasell used three-goal and four-goal unanswered streaks in the second stanza to significantly improve on the slim 3-2 lead it held at the end of the first. Junior Josh Gallant (Hampstead, N.H.) keyed the Lasers' attack with four goals and two assists, and senior Pat Egan (Glen Rock, N.J.) led all scorers with four assists.
For the Corsairs, sophomore DJ Miller (Ashland, Mass.) and senior Joey Bouthillette (Northbridge, Mass.) netted three goals each with Miller also tacking on a pair of assists. The duo of senior Andrew Johnson (Hopkinton, Mass.) and junior Patrick Lucas (Brookfield, Mass.) combined for 14 ground balls, scooping up seven apiece.
The first quarter was an evenly-matched affair, as UMass Dartmouth matched the early two-goal Lasell lead on goals from senior Bo Prozinski (Ashland, Mass.) and Bouthillette. Laser senior Casey Sullivan (Quaker Hill, Conn.) netted the final goal of the period with a minute remaining to kick off an offensive onslaught for his team spanning throughout the next 15 minutes, potting nine goals to the Corsairs' three intermittent scores.
Sophomore Anthony Tomassetti (Elmsford, N.Y.) scored all three of his goals in the second as six other Lasers found the back of the net in the frame. Bouthillette bookended Tomassetti's goal at 6:27 to bring the score back within three, but four straight Lasell tallies gave the hosts a comfortable advantage heading into the break.
The squads played even in the second half, as UMass Dartmouth used a solid performance in net from sophomore Matt LaFond (Bridgewater, Mass.), who made five saves and allowed only three goals in 30 minutes. UMass Dartmouth had an answer for every Lasell score in the final two periods, but the damage done in the second quarter stayed intact.
Senior Steve Merrick (Methuen, Mass.) rounded out the goal scorers for UMass Dartmouth, as four additional Corsairs including Prozinski were credited with assists. Sophomore goalkeeper Scott Spangenberg (Dover, Mass.) took the loss, slipping to 1-1 on the season while making three saves.
For Lasell, junior Jorge Salazar (Waltham, Mass.) rose to 2-0 on the season, stopping 11 shots to preserve the victory.
UMass Dartmouth is on hiatus until March 23, when it remains on the road to take on Roger Williams in Bristol, R.I. at 7 p.m.
