BIDDEFORD, Maine (April 16, 2016) - Senior Jon Bota (Mahopac, N.Y.) and juniors Justin Bard (Westfield, Mass.) and Keegan Dudeck (Longmeadow, Mass.) recorded five points each, leading the No. 17 nationally ranked Western New England University men's lacrosse team to a 16-13 victory over the University of New England this afternoon in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at UNE's Big Blue Turf.
 
Western New England led 12-4 at the break and held off the Nor'easters' second half comeback bid to improve to 10-3 (6-0 CCC) this season. UNE drops to 9-6 (4-2 CCC) with the loss.
 
Now in his 15^th season at the helm of the men's lacrosse program, John Klepacki is just one win shy of 200 for his career with an overall mark of 199-79 (.715) heading into next Wednesday night's game against Curry.
 
Bota and Bard recorded four goals and one assist each, while Dudeck tallied three goals and two assists. Senior Taylor Dubose (Altamont, N.Y.) added four points (two goals, two assists), while freshman Jared Ward (Littleton, Mass.) chipped in with three (two goals, one assist).  
 
Senior David Cedrone (Yantic, Conn.) was dominant at the faceoff X, going a near-perfect 18-for-19 (95%), and sophomore Preston Stolberg (Highland Park, Ill.) posted a 7-for-13 (54%) effort as the Golden Bears went 25-for-33 (76%) overall.
 
Sophomore goalie Steven Kerr (Hopkinton, Mass.) made a game-high ten saves in the cage, his eighth 10 save effort of the season.
 
Junior Dan Auger (Nashua, N.H.) led the Nor'easters with five points (one goal, four assists), while freshman Mitch Mullin (Cumberland, Maine), sophomore Tom Luttrell (Greenbrae, Calif.) and junior Andrew Curro (Niskayuna, N.Y.) scored three goals each.
 
UNE held its only lead of the game (2-1) after Luttrell scored consecutive goals early in the first quarter. Western New England took control with a 5-0 run that featured five different goal scorers, and never looked back.
 
Curro halted the run late in the opening period, but the Golden Bears proceeded to reel off five straight goals for the second time in the half, opening up an 11-3 advantage with 5:20 remaining in the second quarter.
 
Western New England led by as many as nine (13-4) following Ward's second goal of the game at the 12:42 mark of the third quarter. A 4-0 UNE run that started with an unassisted tally by Luttrell and ended with two straight goals by Mullin had the home team back within five (13-8) with 7:16 left in the third, but the Golden Bears answered with a 3-0 run to stretch their advantage back to eight.
 
The Nor'easters outscored Western New England 5-0 over the final 12 minutes of regulation, but their deficit was too much to overcome as the Golden Bears held on for their sixth consecutive victory.
 
Western New England returns to action on Wednesday against Curry as Klepacki goes for his 200^th career victory, while UNE is off until next Saturday, when the Nor'easters host Nichols in their home finale.