MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (March 31, 2016) - The No. 18 nationally ranked Western New England University men's lacrosse team turned in a dominant second half performance, outscoring Salve Regina University 9-0 en route to a 13-4 victory this afternoon in its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) opener at Gaudet Field.
 
The Golden Bears utilized a balanced offensive effort, led by senior Jon Bota (Mahopac, N.Y.), who scored a team-high four goals on seven shots and also scooped up five ground balls. Classmates Mike Jednak (Franklin, Mass.) and Taylor Dubose (Altamont, N.Y.) recorded three points apiece, while juniors Justin Bard (Westfield, Mass.) and Frank Medlicott (Stanwood, Wash.) scored two goals each. Senior defender Drew Trebbe (Wilbraham, Mass.) also chipped in with his first career goal, giving Western New England a 3-1 lead in the first quarter.
 
Senior David Cedrone (Yantic, Conn.) went 15-for-21 (71.4%) at the faceoff X, and sophomore goalie Steven Kerr (Hopkinton, Mass.) made 11 saves in the cage.
 
Sophomore Andrew Fera (Cranston, R.I.) led Salve Regina with two goals, while junior Nick LoCicero (Lynbrook, N.Y.) scored and added an assist.
 
After being shut out in the second quarter and entering halftime tied 4-4 with the Seahawks, Western New England seized control of the contest early in the third. Medlicott put the Golden Bears ahead for good 2:37 into the period on a feed from freshman Jared Ward (Littleton, Mass.), and Jednak made it 6-4 less than a minute later. Dubose found Bota for the senior's third goal of the afternoon at the 10:36 mark, while Bard and Jednak scored later in the frame to extend the Golden Bears' lead to five (9-4).
 
Western New England's momentum carried over into the fourth quarter, as the visitors tacked on four more goals without conceding one. Bota, Jednak, Dubose and Medlicott all scored in the period as the Golden Bears earned a win in their first conference game of the season.
 
Western New England (5-3) returns home to host Wentworth on Saturday at 4 p.m., while Salve Regina (7-4, 0-2 CCC) heads to Milton, Mass. to take on Curry at noon.