WATERVILLE, Maine – The Husson University men's lacrosse team used a dominant fourth quarter to pull away for a 17-11 North Atlantic Conference victory over Thomas College on Tuesday evening.
Husson (9-3, 3-0 NAC) came out strong, scoring five of the game's first six goals to build a 5-1 lead midway through the opening quarter. Senior Kiernan Field got the scoring started before freshman Gabe Robinson added a goal off a Field assist. Field and sophomore Taylor Schwalje each added unassisted tallies, and junior Owen Giorgio capped the early run to give the Eagles a four-goal cushion.
Thomas (7-5, 2-2 NAC) responded late in the first quarter and carried that momentum into the second, scoring five unanswered goals to take a 6-5 lead. Robinson halted the run with a goal off a Schwalje assist to even the score at 6-6 heading into halftime.
The back-and-forth battle continued in the third quarter, as the teams traded goals throughout. Robinson and sophomore Dominic Hollenkamp each found the back of the net, while Field scored late in the period off a feed from sophomore Drew Clinch to tie the game at 9-9 entering the final quarter.
Husson took control in the fourth with an explosive offensive outburst, scoring eight goals in the frame. After Thomas briefly took a 10-9 lead early in the quarter, Robinson ignited the surge with a goal to tie the game before Field followed with back-to-back tallies to give Husson the lead for good.
The Eagles continued to pour it on as Hollenkamp, Schwalje, and Field all added goals during the run, including a man-up tally from Hollenkamp. Hollenkamp capped the scoring with his fourth goal of the game, sealing the 17-11 victory.
Field led all scorers with six goals and four assists, while Robinson added four goals. Hollenkamp also recorded four goals and an assist, and Schwalje contributed two goals and three assists in a balanced offensive effort.
Sophomore Brian Peabody was strong at the faceoff X, winning 18 draws, while also collecting a team-high nine ground balls. As a team, Husson held a slight edge in ground balls (40-39) and won 18 faceoffs in the contest.
Senior Odin Burk earned the win in goal, making nine saves for the Eagles.
Husson returns home on Saturday for senior day, as it will look to remain unbeaten in NAC play when it welcomes the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts to Boucher Field for a 1 p.m. contest.
