CASTLETON, Vt. – The Husson University men's lacrosse team used a dominant second half and 10 combined goals from senior Kiernan Field and sophomore Dominic Hollenkamp to pull away for a 14-9 victory over Vermont State Castleton on Wednesday afternoon at Dave Wolk Stadium. 

The two sides traded momentum throughout the opening quarter, as Hollenkamp opened the scoring with a man-up goal at the 11:43 mark off a feed from sophomore Taylor Schwalje. After Castleton (2-4) responded with two straight goals to take the lead, sophomore Drew Clinch evened things up late in the period, finishing an unassisted tally with 1:54 remaining to send the game into the second quarter tied at 2-2.

The Eagles (4-2) began to seize control in the second quarter, scoring three of the first four goals. Hollenkamp gave Husson the lead for good at 14:25, finishing a setup from Field, before Field followed with an unassisted strike at 11:46. Just 50 seconds later, Hollenkamp struck again, this time off a feed from freshman Gabe Robinson, capping a quick offensive burst that pushed the Eagles in front 5-2. Castleton added a late man-up goal to cut the deficit to 5-3 heading into halftime. 

The third quarter proved to be the turning point in a back-and-forth battle. After Castleton surged with three straight goals to take a 6-5 lead, Robinson answered with an unassisted goal at 10:14 to tie the game. Just 16 seconds later, Field gave Husson the lead back with an unassisted tally, igniting a pivotal run. Following another Castleton equalizer, Schwalje converted off a pass from sophomore Brian Peabody at 5:54 to make it 8-7. Field then took over late in the quarter, scoring a man-up goal at 2:36 before adding another unassisted goal at 1:51, helping the Eagles build a 10-8 advantage heading into the final period.

In the fourth, Husson pulled away for good. After Castleton cut the deficit to one early in the period, Field answered with an unassisted goal at 10:55 to restore a two-goal cushion. Schwalje added to the lead at 7:00, finishing a feed from Robinson, before Hollenkamp capitalized on a man-up opportunity at 5:43 with an unassisted strike. Field capped the scoring at 4:27, converting another extra-man chance off an assist from Clinch as part of a 4-0 closing run to seal the 14-9 victory. 

Field led the offensive explosion with six goals and one assist, while Hollenkamp added four goals. Schwalje finished with two goals and an assist, and Robinson chipped in one goal and two assists. Clinch also recorded a goal and an assist in the win.

Husson controlled possession throughout the contest, winning 20 of 25 faceoffs behind junior Brad Stolt and holding a 39-26 edge in ground balls. The Eagles also capitalized on special teams, converting 4-of-7 extra-man opportunities. 

In goal, senior Odin Burk made 11 saves to earn the victory for Husson.

The Eagles return to action at home on Saturday when they host Anna Maria College at 1 p.m. in their Faceoff Against Cancer Game.