Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Seniors Adam Knapton and Sean Lawton combined for 12 points, and the Western New England defense held Nichols to only a goal through three quarters, as the Golden Bears earned a 16-4 victory in a Commonwealth Coast Conference men's lacrosse game on Tuesday evening at Golden Bear Stadium. The Golden Bears won their third straight to improve to 4-6 on the season and 3-0 in the CCC, while the Bison drop to 2-7 and 0-2.

Knapton finished with three goals and four assists for seven points while Lawton poured in a game- and season-high five goals. Classmate Colton Craig chipped in a goal and two helpers. Freshman Maxwell Berteletti and sophomore Taylor Waybright contributed a goal and an assist each while sophomore Stephen Gair added two assists.

Tyler Sikich led Nichols off the bench with three goals and four ground balls, and Brian Girard had a goal and an assist.

The teams traded goals in the opening 8 minutes and 15 seconds as junior Garrett Mullins gave WNE a 1-0 lead on a feed from Gair at 12:03 before Girard got the equalizer at 6:45 on the clock.

But the Golden Bears reclaimed the lead for good just 16 seconds later as sophomore David Cedrone earned one of his five face-off wins (in six attempts), who then gave the ball to Craig, who fed Knapton for his first tally of the night.

The Golden Bears defense clamped down on the Bison, who didn't score again until 14:04 of the fourth quarter off the crosse of Sikich. Sikich scored two man-up goals later in the period.

So the WNE offense put the game away 14 unanswered goals before Sikich broke the streak, as Golden Bears coach John Klepacki was able to empty his bench and play every man who was dressed.

Senior Jesse DeLucca shined in the "X" by winning all 11 of his face-offs and collecting a game-best eight ground balls. Western New England won 20 of the 24 face-offs.

Nichols goalie Rob Belger made 19 saves and had six ground balls to lead the team in that department. Junior Brandon Body played the first half and got credit for the win after making two saves and three ground balls while allowing one goal.

The Golden Bears outshot the Bison 54 to 22 (35-7 on goal) and won the ground ball battle, 50-36.

Western New England is back in action on Saturday (3 p.m.) at Salve Regina in a CCC match-up played at Gaudet Middle School in Middletown, R.I., beginning a four-game road swing for the Golden Bears.