Brunswick, Maine (March 6, 2024) – The Men's Lacrosse team traveled to Maine for a non-conference clash with Bowdoin College from the NESCAC. The Polar Bears jumped out to a quick 8-3 lead after the first quarter. They outscored the Golden Bears 4-2 in the second quarter and 5-1 in the third. The Golden Bears would outscore them 3-2 in the fourth but lose the game 19-9. Joseph Bussinelli, Jack Houlden, and Jacob Roy all led the Golden Bears with two goals each. Dylan Hanley led the team in total points with five.

Result:

Western New England: 2-2 (0-0)

Bowdoin College: 2-0 (1-0)

How it Happened:

The Polar Bears hosted the Golden Bears in Brunswick, Maine, on Wednesday night. Carter Randall started in net for the Golden Bears. Robert Hobbs was across the field in goal for the Polar Bears. The Polar Bears started quickly with a goal forty seconds into the game from Oliver Bernstein. Fifty seconds later, Matt Ward made the score 2-0 in favor of the Polar Bears. The Golden Bears would flip the script early, with two shots and then a goal from Jacob Roy on the assist from Dylan Hanley 2:57 into the game. It took Zack Goorno seventeen seconds to respond with a goal for the Polar Bears. Will Byrne was credited with the assist. Forty-seven seconds later, Dylan Hanley had the Golden Bears back within one goal. Jack Houlden would match Hanley with a goal thirty-eight seconds later. Dylan Hanley was the player who assisted the goal. With the game tied at three, the teams went back and forth, looking for the next goal to break the tie. Patrick Fitzgerald gave the Polar Bears the lead back. Oliver Bernstein found Fitzgerald for the goal with 7:13 left in the first. Soon after, Jason Lach notched a goal to extend the Polar Bear lead after an assist from Harp Lane. Both teams would have shots before Casey Ryan extended the Polar Bear lead to three goals. Will Byrne had the assist. Twenty-six seconds later, the score was 7-3 after Matt Ward netted an unassisted goal. Then, thirty seconds after that, Sam Raye-Steiner scored off an assist from Jason Lach, which made the score 8-3, Polar Bears. That is how the first quarter would end. After one, the teams both had ten shots. Bowdoin College led 4-2 in saves, 8-4 in faceoffs won, and 12-6 in ground balls. Both teams were 100% on their clear attempts. The score was 8-3, Polar Bears, after the first.

The second quarter started similarly, as the Polar Bears notched a goal forty seconds into the game. Will Byrne scored after an assist from Matt Ward. The Golden Bears had four of the next five shots. However, it was the Polar Bears who would get the next goal. Jason Lach received a pass from Will Byrne and netted the goal. The score was 10-3, Polar Bears. With 10:22 left in the first half, the Polar Bears struck again. Sam Raye-Steiner scored off an assist from Matt Ward. The teams traded possession of the ball for almost eight minutes before another goal. The Polar Bears got the goal when Casey Ryan found Chris Berry. Berry scored, and the Polar Bears led 12-3. Joseph Bussinelli ended the stretch that saw the Polar Bears score nine goals in a row. Dylan Hanley found Bussinelli for the goal. Jacob Roy would score forty-nine seconds later off an assist from Thomas Labbe. The score was 12-5, Bowdoin College. That is how the first half ended. After the first half, the Golden Bears led 21-19 in shots. The Polar Bears led 5-1 in saves, 5-2 in faceoffs won, 10-7 in ground balls, and were 5-5 in clear attempts. The Golden Bears were 5-6 in clear attempts. The Polar Bears led by seven at halftime.

The third saw the teams battle in the beginning without a goal immediately. Zack Goorno would score off an assist from Will Byrne 2:28 into the second half. The two would also be involved in the following Polar Bear goal. However, this time, it was Will Byrne scoring, with Zack Goorno assisting. Jason Lach scored for the Polar Bears thirty-nine seconds later. That was followed by an Oliver Bernstein goal a couple of minutes later. Will Byrne picked up another assist on that goal. With 5:01 left in the third quarter, Chris Berry made it five goals in a row for the Polar Bears. Berry was unassisted on the goal. The Polar Bears were called for two major penalties. However, the Golden Bears could not capitalize on the two-man-up opportunity. Nicholas Campagnone would net a goal off an assist from Dylan Hanley with thirty-seven seconds left in the third quarter to make the score 17-6 going into the final quarter of play. Stats showed the Polar Bears ahead 7-6 in shots, 4-0 in saves, and were 7-9 in clear attempts. The Golden Bears led 4-3 in faceoff attempts, 6-5 in ground balls, and were 4-4 in clear attempts. 

The fourth quarter saw the Golden Bears have a couple of shots to start the quarter. However, it was Casey Ryan scoring the quarter's opening goal for the Polar Bears with 11:32 remaining. The Polar Bears were then called for a minor penalty that the Golden Bears were not able to capitalize on. The Polar Bears had two shots and then a goal from Casey Ryan. The Polar Bears extended their lead to 19-6. Twenty-six seconds later, Joseph Bussinelli scored. Forty-two seconds later, Jonathan Salsbury entered goal for the Golden Bears. WNE would have a stretch of six shots, which the Polar Bear defense and goalie were able to keep out of the net. However, the next shot, from Griffin LaRochelle, found the back of the net. To finish out the scoring, Jack Houlden scored a man-up goal with fifty-six seconds left in the game. Thomas Labbe had the assist. The Golden Bears would fall 19-9 to Bowdoin College. The final stats showed the Golden Bears had more shots, 41-35. The Polar Bears had more faceoffs won 18-14, more ground balls 31-26, more saves 17-5, and more clears 23-18. They beat the Golden Bears by ten. 

Inside The Crease:

• The Golden Bears visited Bowdoin College in Bowdoin, Maine, on Wednesday night.
• Joseph Bussinelli, Jack Houlden, and Jacob Roy each had two goals to lead the Golden Bears.
• Dylan Hanley led the Golden Bears in points with five (one goal and four assists).
• Jason Lach and Casey Ryan led the Polar Bears in goals with three each.
• Will Byrne had seven points for the Polar Bears (two goals and five assists).
• Carter Randall made four saves.
• Robert Hobbs made 17 saves and earned the win.
• Ethan Barnard went 13-18 from the faceoff circle.
• The Polar Bears won the game 19-9.

Up Next:

• The Golden Bears will stay on the road as they travel to Babson College on Saturday afternoon, March 9, at 1:00 PM.
• The Polar Bears will stay home to welcome Middlebury College to campus for a NESCAC showdown on Saturday, March 9, at 1:00 PM.